Apple is making additional changes to its app ecosystem in the European Union to comply with the terms of the Digital Markets Act. The default browser selection experience that’s already in place will be updated, Apple will allow EU users to set defaults for more types of apps, and core iOS apps like Messages and the App Store will also be deletable.
iPhone owners in the EU can already set different defaults for the browser, mail app, app marketplace, and contactless payments, but Apple is going to allow users to select new defaults for phone calls, messaging, password managers, keyboards, call spam filters, navigation, and translation. That means, for example, that EU users will be able to choose an app like WhatsApp instead of Messages to be their default texting app, or a mapping app like Waze to be the default instead of Apple Maps.
↫ Juli Clover at MacRumors
It’s clear by now that Apple’s malicious DMA compliance attempts have proven to be an abject failure. Apple continuously needs to backtrack and give in more and more to the European Commission, without the Commission even having to really do anything at all. Slowly but surely, Apple is complying with the DMA, all while its toddler tantrums have done serious damage to the company’s standing and reputation without having any of the desired effects for Apple. Whoever set out this toddler DMA strategy at Apple should probably be fired for incompetence.
This latest round of additional changes to comply with the DMA are very welcome ones, and further solidify the EU version of iOS as the best version. Not only do iOS users in the European Union get different browser engines, they can also remove larger numbers of default applications, set more default applications, replace more Apple-services with third-party ones, and so on. Thanks to the DMA, iOS is finally becoming more of a real operating system, instead of a set of shackles designed primarily to lock users in.
It’s only a matter of time before laws similar to the DMA spread to the rest of the world, and I honestly don’t think the United States is going to stay behind. Corruption in the US is widespread, but there’s only so much money can do, even in US politics.
Great news and although a decade or two too late, still better late then never.
There’s still no browser not built on Webkit, and I don’t know of any being built.
I think that’s more an indicator that, so far, if a browser developer can only release its own-engine-based browser in the EU, it’s not worth it to the developer. I
beosforever,
Yes, this is exactly the problem. Even for those who appreciate the owner freedoms that the EU are mandating, it’s still very discouraging for developers to write software that can only be used by EU residents. I have a feeling people will try to hack apple’s region restrictions to get the EU freedoms elsewhere, but even if they succeed these hacks aren’t going to encourage many serious software developers to use resources to target this niche.
On the other hand if the apple restrictions were eliminated world-wide, I think many developers would be willing and able to cater to this user base.
Thom Holwerda,
Meanwhile thousands of executives, lobbyists and politicians say “hold my beer” in unison.
All to no avail, the key here is Apple had to do the unimaginable. Something some people believed can’t be done and now it turned out that was not the case. And that changes everything.
Geck,
The point wasn’t that EU laws don’t work, but simply that they don’t apply to the US and it’s possible we won’t get those laws here. Hopefully somehow we end up getting those rights too, but it’s just not a given.
It’s a given now, before was anything but.
Geck,
OK so you claim it won’t happen, due to i guess you finding some claim Apple is making. In bold. We seen, historically speaking, on who backed down. So i will stick with my initial claim, it’s a given, best now lets simply wait and see. Instead of furthermore wasting time on Apple, discussing on how supposedly they won’t do it.
Geck,
Of course you are free to speculate on what will happen in the future. Maybe a future law or court ruling in the US against apple will change things. But you said “It’s a given now“, that is not backed by the facts now. Outside of the EU, Apple’s restrictions are still in effect. I don’t take issue with your speculation, but you keep using language to imply things are a fact when they are not.
I see your point but that doesn’t convince me to change my mind. You still haven’t moved forward, to fully accept what actually happened. Are likely still caught in the prior way of thinking, on how this is just impossible and it therefore won’t happen. Well, it did. So first adapt to this new reality and mindset and you’ll see it’s a given now and no way is this only going to stay like that for EU. In my opinion you can go ahead and accept that as a fact, but OK, if you still feel the need to be cautious about it, after decades of Apple getting their way, i can understand that. This new reality is a concept likely hard to grasp for Apple too, on what exactly happened. Sometimes it feels they are still in denial, but most importantly they are implementing the changes and that i guess is that, not much they can do about it.
Geck,
Nobody’s denying that it happened in europe or that it could happen elsewhere in the future. The point being contested is that it’s not happening elsewhere “now”. This is a fact we should all be able to agree on.
Calling your opinions a fact is probably the source of a lot of our disagreements though. Subjective opinions and future events are not facts. Is there any chance you’d be willing to tone that down? Opinions are fine, and there’s no shame in admitting one is speculating. I speculate all the time. It just irks me whenever people claim things as “fact” without a factual basis for it.
I will stick with my initial assessment and that is it’s a given. It happened and there is no going back any more. Future will tell us if i was right or wrong on this one. So all in all best to wait and see.
Geck,
Just so we’re clear, I’m not refuting your opinion on the subject. I’m refuting you calling your opinion “fact”. Opinions doesn’t refute facts and as of right now the fact is this…
Maybe some day your speculation could come true, but only then can you call it a fact. Until then it’s just speculation. Ultimately yes, we have to wait and see what the future brings.
Imagine on how Apple must feel about it. They did what you are here trying to do for decades and got away with it. Ha ha. No more.
Geck,
If you don’t like the facts, it’s not my problem.
Yes, i claim it’s a fact. Now lets see on who got it right. My claim is Apple is developing and adding this features for all, you claim, due to some claim Apple is making somewhere, this is only for EU. So we will find out that soon, lets first give Apple time, to implement this features. After we can indeed discuss this further. That is if only EU will have access to such features, or not.
Geck,
The problem is that’s not what a fact is.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fact
You either don’t know what a fact is or you are just trolling.
You’re far more optimistic about the influence of money (and the Supreme Court) in US politics than I am.
Hopefully Google will be forced to allow its users the same right too. My phone is full of crapware I never use but am not allowed to delete; it’s ridiculous.
If you’re really uncomfortable about them, search for “use adb to uninstall system apps in android”.
It’s not a practical or straightforward method, but I was finally able to get rid of the emoji wallpaper junk on my pixel.
THIS F’ING THING IS MINE. I PAID FOR IT. I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO DECIDE ON WHAT IT CARRIES.
Note that if your phone isn’t rooted, the adb technique doesn’t completely remove a system app from the device. This means you can reinstall it if you change your mind. Some carrier and phone apps are installed as system apps but at least they will be out of sight.
Did it? I’m not sure if anyone who cares uses an ithing.
They managed to postpone the whole thing by months, if not a whole year. And I haven’t heard about any fine up to 5% of their global turnover being issued. Free consumer screwing for 6 more months is not bad for devil Tim.