iOS Users in Brazil Can Now Delete the App Store for Good

The strict walls surrounding Apple’s mobile ecosystem are crumbling down in yet another country. Following a long legal battle, Apple has officially announced that it is opening up iOS to third-party app stores and alternative payment options in Brazil.

This move follows a major antitrust settlement with Brazil’s competition watchdog, known as CADE. The dispute originally kicked off back in 2022 when Mercado Libre filed a formal complaint. Now, Apple has agreed to play ball, bringing an EU style open ecosystem right to South America.

For the first time in Brazil, developers do not have to rely solely on Apple’s official storefront to reach customers. Under the new rules, companies can build and launch their own independent digital storefronts, which Apple calls alternative app marketplaces.

If a user down in Brazil wants to completely ignore Apple’s platform, they can even go into their device settings and choose a third party store as their default option for installing software.

However, this does not mean the platform has turned into a free for all. Apple is not allowing direct web sideloading (downloading apps straight from a website browser). Every alternative store must be vetted and authorised by Apple first.

Furthermore, any app distributed outside the official App Store still has to go through a safety check called notarisation. This process mixes automated software scans with human reviews to make sure the programme does not contain malicious software or security bugs.

For developers who choose to bypass the App Store entirely and distribute through a rival marketplace, Apple will levy a five percent Core Technology Commission on digital sales.