Apple Confirms When Third-Party App Stores Will Come to iPad

Following in the footsteps of the iPhone, iPad Ready to Welcome Third-Party App StoresApple has confirmed when it will allow installation of apps from outside its App Store, as well as other changes that are part of the process of complying with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

Besides alternative app stores, another notable modification coming to the iPad very soon will be the ability to Third-party web browsers use their own engines.instead of being forced to use WebKit. This will allow apps like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Brave to take advantage of technologies they own and are not tied to Apple technologies.

iPad users in Europe won’t have to wait too long to take advantage of this new addition to Apple’s ecosystem. Third-party app stores and web browsers with alternative engines will be available, Cupertino says. next Monday, September 16, with the iPadOS 18 update..

iPadOS 18 Will Bring Third-Party App Stores and Other Changes to iPad

The modifications that Apple must implement in the iPad to comply with the Digital Markets Act will be released a little more than 6 months after their debut on the iPhone. Recall that initially the American company only needed to open the ecosystem around its smartphone, which was achieved in early March with the release of iOS 17.4.

The update paved the way for third-party app stores, alternative payment methods in the App Store, the introduction of the controversial Core Technology Fee or CTF, non-WebKit browsers, and the opening of the NFC chip in the iPhone and Apple Watch.

First iPad was not achieved under new European rules because it has not reached a set user threshold. However, the European Commission has decided to classify iPadOS as an access gatekeeper or gatekeeper in late April and gave Apple six months to comply with its legal obligations.

Cupertino promised to meet the deadline, saying third-party stores and other modifications would arrive in the last quarter of the year. However, the first changes were made in time to debut with the iPadOS 18 update.

It is not yet known which one will be first. markets alternatives that will debut on the iPad, although it is not uncommon to come across already known names. As a reminder, AltStore PAL was the first third-party store to appear on the iPhone and could easily expand its presence to Apple tablets. Meanwhile, the Epic Games Store has also promised to launch on the iPad along with Fortnite and other games.