Apple is allowing iPhone users to uninstall the iOS App Store. The company is making it easier to delete some core or built-in iOS apps as well.
Apple allows EU iPhone users to uninstall the iOS App Store
Apple has been pressured by the European Union regulators to open its heavily walled garden. The company even ditched its proprietary lightning port and embedded a USB-C port in the latest iPhone.
With the latest iOS 18.2 update, Apple will allow iPhone users to change the default apps. iPhone users around the world can remove some first-party apps such as Calculator, Calendar, Music, and Notes.
The iOS 18.2 update for the EU iPhones adds several more first-party apps that iPhone users can remove. With the latest beta version of iOS, iPhone users in the EU can reportedly delete the Camera, Safari, Messages, and Photos apps as well.
Interestingly, apart from the aforementioned apps, EU iPhone users can delete the Apple iOS App Store. Specifically speaking, users can download alternative app marketplaces to replace the iOS App Store.
Apple is reportedly adding a dedicated button in the Settings app that allows iPhone users to restore Apple’s App Store after deleting it. Needless to say, Apple is complying with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The company is fighting a legal battle in the EU to protect its walled garden.
Apple allows iPhone users to ditch default apps and opt for third-party alternatives
Apple Intelligence is undoubtedly the highlight of the iOS 18.2 update. The update adds Image Playground, Genmoji, ChatGPT integration, and Visual Search for iPhone 16 models.
Apple has added a dedicated hub in the Settings app to change the default apps. It is interesting to see Apple has made it extremely easy to switch apps in one dedicated hub, and not force iPhone users to traverse a complex maze of settings and permissions.
What’s even more surprising is that Apple is allowing iPhone users outside the EU to change some default apps. So far, only the EU is forcing companies like Apple and Google to allow users to remove preinstalled apps from their devices and use third-party alternatives to the default apps.
Incidentally, Google already allows third-party app stores to function on Android devices. Hence, the company complies with the EU’s DMA.
