iOS 17.4 introduced a feature for downloading applications not from the App Store for EU countries. But how do you know if you can use it?
Apple only allows apps to be installed from approved stores. The company calls them App Marketplaces.
The operating system itself will determine whether you can download applications from other stores, bypassing the App Store. There are several factors for this:
• Apple ID billing address
• User’s current location (Apple only checks the country, not the exact location for privacy reasons)
• Current region set in iOS settings
• Device class (iPhone, iPad, etc.)
The system also additionally checks whether the device comes from China. Why this is so is unknown.
In the Settings -> General -> About this device menu, there is now also a line that will show the country of origin of your iPhone or iPad.
The list of countries where the ability to download apps from other stores is enabled comes from Apple’s server, which means the company can update it at any time. Currently it includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal , Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
If more countries end up adopting antitrust laws similar to the DMA, Apple could implement the same changes in those regions without having to release another iOS update.
Finally, the MDM API has arrived. It has basic controls for downloading, installing and even updating applications from external sources. It can also check whether an app is compatible with a specific device or version of iOS, something the App Store already does.
The iOS 17.4 beta adds a “MarketplaceKitBridge” component to this API so that both APIs can share what is needed to download apps outside of the App Store. (9to5)
