Apple has revealed that starting on September 16, iPad users in the EU will be able to install third-party app stores on their tablets without having to sideload them by installing iPadOS 18, which will be available broadly on Monday. The European Commission designated iPadOS as a “core platform service” back in April, subjecting it to stricter rules under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. Apple had six months to update iPadOS to comply with the DMA, opening up the platform to third-party app marketplaces. Epic Games has pledged to bring its app marketplace to iPadOS, allowing users in the EU to play Fortnite and Fall Guys natively on compatible iPads. Third-party app stores arriving on iOS in the EU are not subject to Apple’s usual app review policies, but are notarized by the company for security purposes. Developers of these app marketplaces must pay a Core Technology Fee to Apple once they meet certain thresholds. With the rollout of iPadOS 18, Apple will allow third-party browsers to use their own engines on iPadOS instead of employing its own WebKit, enabling Mozilla and Google to offer iPad versions of Firefox and Chrome that run on their own technology.
