Apple’s tightly controlled iOS ecosystem is set to loosen further — this time in Brazil. Following regulatory pressure, Apple has agreed to allow alternative app stores, third-party payment systems for in-app purchases, and links to external offers on iPhones in the country, according to reports from Brazilian publications MLex and Tecnoblog (via MacRumors).
The changes are significant. For the first time, iPhone users in Brazil will be able to install apps from sources outside Apple’s App Store, opening the door to alternative marketplaces like AltStore, created by Riley Testut and Shane Gill. Developers will also be allowed to bypass Apple’s in-app purchase system and link users directly to external payment options — something Apple has long resisted.
Apple reportedly has 105 days to implement the changes, putting the deadline in early April. That timing could line up with the release of iOS 26.4, suggesting the update may quietly carry major platform changes for Brazilian users.
This move didn’t come out of nowhere. The dominoes started falling in Europe, where lawmakers forced Apple’s hand with the Digital Markets Act. Apple first began allowing third-party app stores and app sideloading on iPhones with iOS 17.4 in March 2024, followed shortly by the launch of the first alternative app storefronts. The company later extended the same changes to iPadOS in the EU.
Since then, other regions have followed suit. Japan recently passed its Mobile Software Competition Act, under which Apple committed to allowing alternative app marketplaces and payment systems with iOS 26.2. Similar regulatory pressure is building in markets like the U.K. and Australia, making Brazil the latest country to chip away at Apple’s long-standing App Store exclusivity.
Apple, for its part, continues to push back publicly. The company has repeatedly argued that alternative app stores pose risks to user privacy and security. In a support document on alternative app distribution, Apple states, “If you prefer using apps that have met all of Apple’s App Review Guidelines, including Apple’s standards for privacy, security, and quality, you can use the App Store.”
Still, the broader trend is hard to ignore. Regulators around the world are increasingly aligned in their view that Apple’s control over app distribution and payments is too restrictive. Brazil’s decision adds more weight to that global shift, further loosening Apple’s grip on iOS — and giving developers and users more choice in how apps are distributed and paid for.
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