Apple has announced sweeping updates to its EU App Store to comply with the Digital Markets Act, enabling external links, sideloading, and a unified 5% commission fee by 2026.
The new rules, which affect everything from in-app payments to app distribution and fee models, are part of a broader push by European regulators to open up digital marketplaces and improve competition.
One of the most important changes is that developers in the European Union can now inform users about alternative purchase options. This means apps available in the EU App Store can include information or links that lead users to buy digital goods or services elsewhere. Those destinations can be a developer’s own website, an external marketplace, or another app.
To support these changes, Apple has introduced updated business terms for developers who choose to use these options. This includes a new fee structure made up of an initial acquisition charge, a service fee for Store features, and what Apple is now calling the Core Technology Commission.
Apple also confirmed that by the start of 2026, it will move all developers in the EU to a single business model. Under this model, the existing Core Technology Fee will be phased out and replaced by the Core Technology Commission. This change will apply to all digital goods and services sold through the App Store, as well as through web distribution and third-party marketplaces.
For now, developers who have accepted the current alternative terms will continue under the Core Technology Fee until the transition is completed. Apple has promised to share more information about the timeline and implementation details in the coming months.
Another key update affects the way users in the EU can install apps. Starting with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, Apple devices will offer an updated experience that supports the installation of apps from external sources, including a developer’s website.
Later this year, developers will also receive a new API that will allow them to start downloads of apps they offer outside the App Store directly from within their own apps.
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