Apple is working on a new feature that will allow iPhone users to easily switch to an Android smartphone to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple To Allow iPhone Users To Easily Switch to Android In The EU
For those unaware, the DMA is a set of European Union (EU) regulations that aim to make the digital economy fairer and more contestable by curbing the market power of tech giants classified as “gatekeepers” — Amazon, Apple, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok owner ByteDance — from unfairly promoting their products and services. These gatekeepers were required to comply with the DMA by March 6, 2024.
The Cupertino giant published Apple’s Non-Confidential Summary of DMA Compliance Report on March 7, outlining the list of changes it has made to comply with the terms of the EU’s DMA. These include uninstalling Safari, changing the default navigation app, and transferring data between different operating systems.
To start with, Apple is working on developing “more user-friendly solutions” that would make it easier for iPhone users to switch over to another operating system and transfer data from an iPhone to non-Apple smartphones, which is set to potentially complete by 2025.
The company is also creating a browser switching solution on the iOS platform for “exporting and importing relevant browser data” into another browser on the same device. It aims to make this solution available by late 2024 or early 2025.
Further, the iPhone maker has confirmed plans to allow Apple users to remove preinstalled apps from their Home Screen on iOS. It also plans to offer users the ability to “completely delete Safari from iOS, should they wish to do so,” a feature that is not currently available to iPhone users in other regions. The company aims to make this option available by the end of 2024.
“When users in the EU first open Safari on iOS 17.4, they are prompted to choose their default browser and [are] presented with a list of the main web browsers available in their market to select as their default browser,” Apple wrote.
In addition, Apple also plans to introduce a new default control for iOS users in Settings for navigation apps in the EU, which means users aren’t obligated to use the company’s default option. The company plans to make this option available by March 2025.
Apple is also allowing third-party payment apps to leverage the iPhone’s NFC chip for contactless payments, offering users more options outside of Apple Pay. Developers in the EU can now submit requests for additional NFC interoperability that can enhance compatibility between iPhones and other devices.
These interoperability requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure they align with the DMA’s goals and see whether or not effective solutions can be developed.
Currently, it is unknown whether the aforesaid changes apply to iPhones exclusively sold in the EU or will be applied to iPhones globally.