Today Apple released iOS 17.5 beta 2 to developers, and we don’t normally report on such releases, but this is important, as it marks the debut of another feature that Apple was forced to add thanks to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) .
Starting with iOS 17.5, iPhone owners in the EU will be able to download apps from websites, aka sideloading. You don’t have to go through the Apple App Store or any other app store: Apple also started supporting alternative app stores thanks to DMA in iOS 17.4.
Now this takes the flexibility of finding apps a step further. However, we’re still talking about Apple, so it’s not a free game. Developers who want to offer downloadable apps on their websites must go through Apple’s authentication process, must be a member of the Apple Developer Program for two consecutive years or more, and the developer must be based in the EU or have an affiliate.
But wait, there’s more. Only apps that have had one million or more annual first installs on iOS in the EU in the previous year can be distributed this way. So even though the “walled garden” now has shorter walls, the walls are still there. The good news is that you can back up, restore, and update apps you download from websites just like any other apps.
When you want to install such an app, you will see a system sheet showing the app name, developer name, app description, and screenshots, and you will have to give explicit permission to the developer to install the apps. You will only be able to use this feature within the EU and only on iPhone.
The advantage of all this for developers is that they will not have to pay Apple a percentage of the sales of apps distributed on websites. But that doesn’t mean they won’t pay anything: Apple requires a “Core Technology Fee” of 0.5 euros for every annual installation above one million in the last year. Thankfully, at least nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies don’t pay the tax.
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