Apple Opens iOS To Alternative App Stores, Payment Systems in Japan

Apple has announced a sweeping set of changes to iOS in Japan that will allow alternative app marketplaces, third-party payment processing, and non-WebKit browser engines -- all to comply with Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act, which takes effect December 18. The changes, now available in iOS 26.2, bear a strong resemblance to Apple's compliance measures for the European Union's Digital Markets Act but differ in key ways.

Japanese developers who want to offer alternative payment options must display them alongside Apple's in-app purchase system, giving users a choice at checkout rather than replacing Apple's option entirely. Apps cannot be distributed directly from websites as they can in the EU; they must go through an authorized marketplace.

Apple has established a tiered fee structure for the new arrangements. Apps distributed through the App Store using in-app purchase will pay between 15 and 26% depending on whether developers qualify for the Small Business Program. Alternative payment processing drops the 5% payment fee but keeps the base commission. Apps distributed outside the App Store pay a flat 5% Core Technology Commission on digital goods and services.

The company introduced several user-facing changes beyond app distribution. iPhone users in Japan will see browser and search engine choice screens during device setup, can assign third-party voice assistants to the side button, and can select alternative default navigation apps. Apple said it worked closely with Japanese regulators on protections for younger users. Apps in the Kids category cannot link to external websites for purchases, and users under 13 cannot access web links for transactions in any app.

An Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company has no plans to extend these changes to other markets.

It's obviously worth it to Apple

[unami]

to fragment iOS everytime something like this happens. Pretty sad.

Re: It's obviously worth it to Apple

[drinkypoo]

It's zero sum overall, not for them.

Re:

[_merlin]

Because they want their own CPUs as a competitive advantage for their platform. They don't want to be competing against other computers/phones with the same CPUs as long as their CPUs are better.

Apple should be thanking devs, not screwing them

[Sebby]

Apple should be thanking devs for making apps for its platforms, instead of constantly screwing them over. Apple owes its success for its mobile devices to third party devs. But Apple arrogantly thinks devs need it more than Apple need devs, so thinks it has carte-blanche to abuse them.

What would Apple's devices look like if there weren't enough third-party devs making apps? Just a dozen or so crappy Apple apps, with the rest being "web apps" that are too crippled (due to Apple's crippling of Safari as a useful browser) to be useful? Android would've crushed them then.

Re: Apple should be thanking devs, not screwing th

[Kitkoan]

Dev thank Apple by making apps for their devices which in turn gives customers reason to buy Apple devices. The issue here is that Apple demands dev to prostrate themselves in front of Apple. These are not the same.

And yes, developers do pay for these things, no one is demanding it for free. Apple deems it's worth $99 a year for the tools, as well as the purchase of there devices. This is the fee they demand all people have to pay to make apps regardless if it has payments or not, it's on their website.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

What would Apple's devices look like if there weren't enough third-party devs making apps? Just a dozen or so crappy Apple apps, with the rest being "web apps" that are too crippled (due to Apple's crippling of Safari as a useful browser) to be useful? Android would've crushed them then.

Pretty much as it does now.

You have to remember, Apple only intended for devs to make web apps for the iPhone. It was only AFTER hackers have cobbled together a compiler, jailbroke the iPhone, and set up an app store and eve

Re:

[Sebby]

Developers forced Apple to release an SDK

I guess we'll never really know what would've happened in an alternative timeline, but my feeling is that Apple would've been forced to release the SDK regardless because Google would've done so themselves eventually (whether or not "devs forced them too" is again an alternative timeline of hypothetical series of events).

My point of view on it is that phones is just the next iteration of computers, and MS wouldn't have been as huge as it is now if it weren't for developers being basically unrestricted to de

Re:

[tlhIngan]

I guess we'll never really know what would've happened in an alternative timeline, but my feeling is that Apple would've been forced to release the SDK regardless because Google would've done so themselves eventually (whether or not "devs forced them too" is again an alternative timeline of hypothetical series of events).

My point of view on it is that phones is just the next iteration of computers, and MS wouldn't have been as huge as it is now if it weren't for developers being basically unrestricted to de

Re:

[Sebby]

Can I have a keyboard choice please? One that has 4-rows with numbers?

I never understood why Apple crippled their software keyboard so much, especially since screens have gotten taller ever since iPhone 5 and up.

Re: Keyboard

[drinkypoo]

They don't adopt features until Android has had them for many years

Re: Keyboard

[SeeKay]

Yeah.. great shout! You can tap the 123 button and slide to a number and when you let go it bounces back to letters.. not great but can be helpful.

can we get non-WebKit browser engines in all marke

[Joe_Dragon]

can we get non-WebKit browser engines in all markets?

Re: can we get non-WebKit browser engines in all m

[SeeKay]

Only the AI browsers..

goof for japam

[bn-7bc]

I just wish they would allow sideloading here in Norway and drop the mac requirement for developing ios apps

Almost like any smartphone should be...

[ArmoredDragon]

iPhone users in Japan will see browser and search engine choice screens during device setup, can assign third-party voice assistants to the side button, and can select alternative default navigation apps

Aside from the choice screens, you can already do all of this on Android. Why does anybody buy anything that doesn't give you these options to begin with? That's just asking to be enshitified at some point. Safari is already enshitified.

Though maybe I'm not the typical iphone demographic. I don't use stupid apps. Basically everything I do is in Firefox. With extensions to disenshitify websites. Maybe what separates me from iOS users is when Reddit says "time to sign in with a shitty app" I say "fuck you, re

Now let us use two app stores at once PLEASE

[mattr]

It is totally byzantine if you need an app that is only on one App Store or happen to travel. Actual case that happened to me. United app for boarding pass, mobile roaming app from another country's phone company. Media subscriptions from U.S. App Store which was my default. Apple had me cancel my media subscriptions, create another id with an iCloud email address I don't otherwise use, and every time I need to spend time to make sure something I need will work in advance. Apple PLEASE let us use multiple a