Australia orders Apple to let iPhones use rival app stores

Australia's Federal Court has ordered Apple to let iPhone owners in Australia get apps from stores other than the App Store. The order starts March 1, 2027. Apple says it will appeal and ask the court to pause the ruling, so the date is not yet certain.

What changed

The order follows a court finding in August 2025 that Apple misused its market power. The court said Apple restricted competition in how apps are distributed and how people pay. The new rules aim to fix that by giving developers more freedom to reach iPhone users.

People whose Apple Account region is set to Australia will be able to install and update apps through rival app marketplaces and developer websites. Developers in Apple's Developer Program can offer apps this way, no matter where they are based.

Payments get looser too

The ruling also targets in-app purchases, the payments made inside an app. Under the order, developers will be able to do the following:

• Offer competing payment services
• Link customers to outside checkout pages
• Set lower prices through other payment providers

Apple cannot force developers to offer its own payment system alongside these options. It also cannot demand reports and audits of transactions handled elsewhere. The order limits the fees Apple can charge on eligible purchases made through competing services. The reports do not say how high that limit is.

Security checks stay

Outside apps will not get a free pass. They still need to pass automated security or privacy checks. They also need notarization, which is a review sign-off, from Apple or a qualified third party. But Apple must provide the tools for outside distribution and cannot make it deliberately harder than using its own store.

What it means for users

The main benefit is choice. Developers could find new ways to reach you and avoid some of Apple's payment costs. Lower prices are possible, but they are not promised. Any savings passed on to customers will depend on each business.

What happens next

Apple told Reuters it intends to appeal and seek a pause in enforcement. It cites concerns about intellectual property and App Store security. Unless the court delays the order, the rules take effect on March 1, 2027.

Australia is following a path the European Union took. There, the Digital Markets Act forced Apple to allow alternative app marketplaces and web-based app distribution, starting with iOS 17.4 in 2024. Apple has still kept conditions and fees on developers who use those options.