As Apple announces new updates to its mobile operating systems, they are poised to incorporate key changes in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, aiming to better align with the regulatory demands. As a result of ongoing dialogue with the European Commission, the company will permit EU-based iPhones and iPads to set non-Apple defaults for various app settings, including browser, mail, app store, contactless apps, as well as default options for phone calls, messaging, password management, keyboards, and call spam filters.
The newly introduced Default Apps section at the top of Android’s Apps settings could potentially house all these features. The flexibility to set these new defaults will roll out later this year. In the spring of 2025, Apple plans to introduce support for setting default navigation apps and translations.
Will Apple permit EU customers to delete pre-installed apps? By the end of this year, iOS updates will enable users to uninstall select built-in apps, including the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari. So, among Apple’s applications, only Settings and Phone will not be deletable after this.
Ultimately, an updated browser alternative display may be demonstrated throughout the EU for all customers using Safari as their default browser, even if they have previously viewed an alternative display. The new alternative display could provide more in-depth insights into third-party browsers, while developers building these browsers would gain access to additional metrics on the performance of the selection display, courtesy of Apple’s enhanced analytics offerings.
If you select a different browser as your default via this new feature, the Safari icon in your Dock or on your Home Screen will be replaced with the icon of your newly chosen browser if it was previously displayed there. If your preferred third-party browser is already installed, it will automatically launch upon selection; if not, it will initiate the download process.
