After much anticipation, Apple has finally added support for an alternate app marketplace on iPhone models with iOS 17.4 update. The feature is only available in the EU region as the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into force on March 6, mandates the change. The company has now released a document explaining the eligibility criteria for users to access this feature and factors that may prevent them from accessing this feature.
As per the company, users will lose access to marketplaces if a user travel outside of the countries and regions belonging to the European Union (EU) for a long period. In addition to this, users will not be able to update their apps from third-party marketplaces outside the European Union region.
As per the company’s guidelines, the country or region of an Apple ID must be set to one of the countries or regions of the EU, and the user must also be physically located in the region. Apple will monitor that both criteria are fulfilled through on-device processing and claims that it will not collect the device's location. If a user leaves the EU for an extended period, they will lose access to some features, including the ability to install new alternative marketplaces and update pre-installed third-party apps. However, the apps will continue to function.
Apple has also stated that it will give users a grace period if they travel outside Europe for a short duration, although it has not defined what constitutes short-term and long-term travel.
The list of countries and regions eligible for alternative app marketplaces includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Furthermore, Apple has made it clear that they will not offer customer support to users who face issues with alternative app marketplaces. The company will not deal with privacy and security issues such as scams, fraud, and abuse either. It's worth noting that currently, there are no third-party app marketplaces available for iOS.
