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iDOS 3 now available on the App Store after Apple changes its gudelines on PC emulators

Apple App Store sideloading iOS

For years, Apple has prevented developers from distributing any kind of emulators for iOS on the App Store. However, as the company faces pressure from the European Union with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation, iPhone and iPad emulators are now allowed. Thanks to this, iDOS 3 is now available on the App Store.

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Apple announces new fee structure for apps in the EU that link out to the web for purchases

Apple App Store EU

Following the EU ruling in June that said Apple’s App Store anti-steering policies are officially in breach of the Digital Markets Act, Apple is announcing changes. Specifically, these changes address the rules around app developers linking out to the web to inform users about alternative payment methods.

The new rules remove many of the restrictions Apple previously imposed about how developers were allowed to link out. At the same time, it introduces yet another fee structure, specifically for App Store Link Out uses cases.

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Pirate streaming app for iOS gets approved again on the App Store [U]

Pirate streaming app for iOS tricked App Store Review to get approved by Apple

A few weeks ago, 9to5Mac reported on a pirate streaming app that tricked the App Store Review into getting approved by Apple. Following the publication of our article, Apple removed the app. However, it seems that the developers have once again tricked the company into approving not just one, but multiple pirate streaming apps on the App Store.

Update: An Apple spokesperson told 9to5Mac that the apps have been removed from the App Store, but no details have been provided about the company’s measures to prevent other apps like this from getting approved again.

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Pirate streaming app for iOS tricked App Store Review to get approved by Apple [U: Removed]

Pirate streaming app for iOS tricked App Store Review to get approved by Apple

Apple has many guidelines that developers need to follow when they want to distribute an app through the App Store, and there is an App Store Review team that checks whether apps comply with the rules. However, it’s not rare to see apps tricking Apple in order to get approved, and this happened recently with a pirate streaming app.

Update: Following the publication of this article, Apple removed the app from the App Store. You can read the original story below.

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Epic Games accuses Apple of delaying its iOS game store launch

Epic Games accuses Apple of delaying its game store launch | Image of Tim Cook in Fortnite costume

Epic Games has accused Apple of deliberately delaying its attempt to launch its own iOS games store in Europe, and has raised it as a potential antitrust issue with the EU.

The Fortnite developer said that Apple was rejecting its app because the iPhone maker considered the Install and In-app Purchases labels and buttons too similar to those used in its own App Store

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visionOS App Store to allow alternative payment options for users in the EU

Apple App Store EU

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation came into effect earlier this year and has already forced Apple to make some deep changes to the App Store, including allowing developers to offer alternative payment options in their apps. As Apple Vision Pro is coming to Europe, Apple has now confirmed that alternative payment options will also be available on the visionOS App Store.

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Report shows that AAA games for iPhone and iPad aren’t exactly a hit with users

Assassin's Creed Mirage for iPhone AAA game

Since the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro with A17 Pro, Apple’s first chip with hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, Apple has been trying to convince major game developers to bring their titles to iOS. AAA Games like Resident Evil Village and Assassin’s Creed Mirage are now available on the App Store, but a new report shows that they’re not exactly a hit with iPhone and iPad users.

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macOS Sequoia eases storage requirements for downloading Mac App Store apps

Apple App Store

As we’ve been covering this month, macOS Sequoia brings a lot of new features for Mac users, including iPhone Mirroring and a new Passwords app. But there’s also a discreet but important change coming with the update. That’s because the new version of macOS eases the free storage requirements for downloading apps from the Mac App Store.

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Developers can now create larger apps and games for iOS 18 and tvOS 18

App Store

Some users may not be familiar with this, but Apple sets size limits for iOS and tvOS apps, so that a single app can’t take up too much space. However, as apps and especially games get more advanced, they also get larger and require more storage. Because of this, Apple is increasing the size limits for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV apps.

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EU App Store changes for iPad now available to test with second iPadOS 18 beta

Apple App Store EU

Back in April, we learned that the EU would force Apple to bring the same App Store changes to iPad that previously arrived for iPhone. Those include app sideloading, alternative app payment, alternative browser engine support, and more. Now the second iPadOS 18 beta brings the ability to test those EU changes on iPad for the first time.

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EU says Apple has ‘very serious’ issues for not complying with DMA

Apple App Store EU

Apple this year announced a series of changes when it comes to the App Store in the EU, as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation came into force in March. However, the European Commission doesn’t seem satisfied with the changes Apple has made. For the EU, Apple has some “very serious” issues with not being fully compliant with the new legislation.

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iPhone PC emulator block called confusing, inconsistent, and probably illegal

iPhone PC emulator block | iPhone with retro Apple wallpaper

Apple’s decision to block iPhone PC emulators has been criticized by developers, who have variously said that it is confusing, inconsistent, and probably illegal.

One even said that not even Apple’s own app reviewers appear to understand the company’s policy, because they took two months to reach a decision …

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How to manage and track all of your Apple and App Store subscriptions

App Store payment

This story is brought to you by Copilot Money, the best money tracker for iOS and macOS that gives you full financial clarity. Try Copilot Money today to track your App Store subscriptions and use the code 9TO5MAC to get a 2-month free trial.


Curious about what services you’re subscribed to through Apple’s App Store? Or maybe you want to cancel a trial right after signing up so you don’t forget? Read along for how to track and manage your Apple and App Store subscriptions.

Apple has made it seamless to subscribe to services through your Apple ID. But the flipside is it’s easy to forget what you’re paying for, what’s on a trial, monthly, or yearly subscription.

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Japan passes law forcing Apple to allow iOS App Marketplaces in the country

Apple Japan iPhone iOS

Earlier this year, Apple announced major changes coming to iOS users in the European Union following the Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation, which forced the company to allow alternative app stores – or App Marketplaces – on iOS. Now the government of Japan has passed a similar law that will also force the company to allow App Marketplaces for Japanese iOS users.

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Aptoide iOS game store launches this week; wait list of 20,000

Aptoide iOS app store | Screengrab of countdown

An Aptoide iOS game store launches in Europe on Thursday, the third, uh, third-party app store to be announced after Setapp and AltStore.

All three companies are taking advantage of the changes Apple was forced to make in the EU by the Digital Markets Act, which opens up the App Store to competition for the first time …

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Apple makes it impossible for developers to test third-party web engines outside the EU

Apple Safari web apps webkit macOS

Apple has made significant changes to the App Store guidelines in the European Union in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation. One of these changes allows developers to release iPhone web browsers with their own engine, but the company is making it difficult for developers to test their apps before releasing them to users in the EU.

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