Apple has confirmed the iPhone's EU App Store changes are coming to the iPad this fall

Following the implementation of the European Union's Digital Markets Act in March Apple was forced to make some changes to the way the iPhone worked, specifically relating to the App Store. The implications were only for the iPhone at the time, but following news that the EU has now added the iPad to its list of gatekeeper platforms Apple was left with a decision - either make similar changes to the iPad, or appeal the decision.

Apple has chosen to go the former route, and the company has now confirmed that it will be making the same changes that it made to the iPhone in March to the iPad, with the update coming this fall. That would suggest that we can expect iPadOS 18 or a version of that update to be the one that makes the big changes for iPad owners in the EU.

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Those changes will mean that EU developers will have the option of distributing their apps outside of the App Store, whether that's via a third-party app marketplace or via their own websites. The iPad will also start to offer third-party web browsers to users while developers will also be able to choose to sign a new contract with Apple that will change the way payments are handled. Apple will not take the same commission from sales that happen outside of the App STore but will instead charge a Core Technology Fee - its way to get paid for the development of iPadOS and infrastructure.

As is the case with the iPhone, it's important to remember that these changes will only apply to iPad users in the European Union. However, it has since been suggested that international lawmakers may be watching the EU to see how the changes are received and whether there are any unforeseen issues that come from them. IF all goes well, we may see new laws similar to the DMA popping up in other countries, too.

If the iPadOS 18 update is indeed the one that brings support for third-party app marketplaces and more, it'll be a big round of updates for Apple. The iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates are already expected to be huge ones with big new AI features on the horizon. New software updates for the Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro are also expected to arrive at the same time, making this fall a huge one for Apple. The new updates are likely to arrive in September, likely around the time the iPhone 16 and iPHone 16 Pro go on sale.