The effects of the Digital Markets Law about the ecosystem Manzana and now it's time for another characteristic that has accompanied the iPhone practically since its beginnings. The company has announced that it will allow, within the European Union, Some developers distribute their applications from their websites.
Since Apple launched the App Storeaccompanying the iPhone 3G, has never allowed the installation of apps on iOS from any source other than that. The LMD has forced you to make significant changes to the way users access the software; first allowing the third party app stores and now the direct download of applications from websites. But It will not be as simple as on Android or on a computer.
Apple establishes a series of conditions so that a developer can offer to download their app from their own website. “Applications offered through Web Distribution must comply with the requirements of notarization to protect the integrity of the platform, like all iOS apps, and can only be installed from a website domain that the developer has registered with App Store Connect“explains Apple.
It will also not be a simple process to install these applications on an iPhone in the EU. “To install apps from a developer's website, users will first need to Approve the developer to install apps in your iPhone Settings” says the company on the developer support page. “When installing an application, a system document will show the information that developers have sent to Apple for your review, such as the app name, developer name, app description, screenshots, and system age rating.”
Thus, Apple will authorize developers “after meeting specific criteria and commit to ongoing requirements that help protect users”, such as, among others, being part of the Apple Developer Program and be registered in the EU.
As can be expected when it comes to Apple, the company will benefit when users download an app from the developer's website. The same will apply basic technology commission which affects apps distributed from third-party stores and which implies that, Once the million downloads have been exceeded, Apple will earn 50 euro cents for each first annual installation of an app. Only non-profit organizations, certain educational institutions, and EU government entities are exempt from this basic technology fee. Direct downloading of applications from websites will arrive the next spring with a new iOS update.