Zwei Jahre iPhone-Sideloading in der EU: Was sich wirklich geändert hat
In March 2024, Apple was forced to do something it had resisted for years: allow iPhone users in the European Union to install apps from stores other than the App Store. Two and a half years later, the picture is more complicated than either side predicted. Sideloading on iPhone in the EU is technically real, practically limited, and commercially contested in ways that reveal how much leverage Apple still holds over its own platform.
What the DMA Actually Required
The EU's Digital Markets Act designated Apple a gatekeeper of a core platform service. That designation required Apple to allow alternative app marketplaces, permit developers to steer users to external payment options, and provide third-party developers with access to system APIs on equal terms. Apple implemented these requirements in iOS 17.4, but did so in a way that drew immediate criticism: the business terms it set for alternative marketplace operators made the economics difficult for most players.
The Core Technology Fee -- a charge of 0.50 euros per install per year beyond the first million -- applied even to free apps distributed through alternative stores. SetApp mobile, one of the most credible alternative marketplace attempts, announced its closure in February 2026, citing the complexity and cost of Apple's terms.
The 2026 Fee Restructure
Effective January 2026, Apple replaced the Core Technology Fee with a new Core Technology Commission. Free apps distributed on third-party platforms are no longer subject to a per-install fee. Apple introduced a flat 5% fee on eligible purchases made outside its store on iOS. The European Commission has not declared the matter settled -- preliminary findings suggest the Commission believes Apple's current terms still do not fully comply with the DMA's requirements. A fine of approximately 500 million euros levied in April 2025 signaled the Commission's willingness to enforce aggressively.
Who Is Actually Using Alternative Stores
The practical adoption of alternative marketplaces among EU iPhone users has been modest. The friction of finding, vetting, and installing an alternative marketplace has kept mainstream usage low. Developer adoption has been similarly cautious. The exception is in specific verticals: adult content platforms, gaming companies seeking to bypass Apple's in-app purchase requirements, and enterprise software vendors with large per-seat contracts have had real incentive to explore alternatives.
Security: The Argument Apple Still Makes
Apple has consistently argued that alternative app distribution introduces security risks its review process mitigates. Apple's notarization requirement for apps distributed through alternative marketplaces provides a floor of malware screening even outside the App Store. But critics note that the same notarization infrastructure also gives Apple veto power over app categories it disfavors, and the line between security enforcement and competitive gatekeeping is not always clear.
What This Means Beyond Europe
The DMA's impact has remained geographically contained. Apple has not extended alternative marketplace support to the United States. American iPhone users still operate under the original App Store terms. What the DMA experiment has demonstrated, two and a half years in, is that regulatory mandates can force the door open -- but the terms of entry, and what users actually do once it is open, remain largely within Apple's control to shape.