Apple will change the way users choose browser options in the European Union, adding a dedicated section for changing default apps and making more apps removable, the company said Thursday.
The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act came into force on March 7, forcing it to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen” the first time they open Safari.
In an update coming later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the selection screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
According to Apple, the user will be shown a random list of 12 browsers per EU country with brief descriptions and the one they have chosen will be automatically downloaded. The selection screen will also be available on iPads via an update later this year.
Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticised the design of its choice screen and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25, saying it suspected the measures failed to achieve effective enforcement.
“We welcome Apple’s updated selection screen, particularly as it precedes upcoming iPhone launches,” Andrew Frost Moroz, founder of the Aloha browser, told Reuters.
“For those who are not as familiar with us, the description will highlight these benefits, and fewer taps to start browsing will improve the user experience and benefit third-party browsers,” he said.
Apple said it has been in dialogue with the European Commission and believes the new changes will address regulators’ concerns.
The Commission said on Thursday it will monitor the effectiveness of the remedies in achieving the WFD’s objective and decide on the next steps in the ongoing case.
There are also plans to introduce a dedicated area for default apps where users will be able to set defaults for messaging, phone calls, spam filters, password managers and keyboards.
Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-created apps, such as the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari. Only the Settings and Phone apps will not be able to be deleted.
First published: August 22, 2024 | 11:45 PM IS
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