We’ve already seen several retro console emulators appear on iOS after Apple relaxed its app category rules in April, and now we have the first approval of a Windows PC emulator – one that Apple had previously rejected.
As noted by The edgeThe UTM SE app is now available on iPhones, as well as iPads and Apple Vision Pro headsets. It lets you run various versions of Windows from Windows XP upwards, as well as select Linux and macOS versions.
It’s a surprise to see UTM SE make an appearance, as Apple rejected it from the App Store back in June. The reason given at the time was that PCs didn’t meet the required “retro game console” description for approval.
At this point, it’s not entirely clear what has changed – whether it’s a change in Apple’s policy or something else about the app itself. Based on social media posts from the UTM SE team, it appears that Apple has reconsideredand besides that the emulator experience has been upgraded at.
Gray areas
We’re happy to announce that UTM SE is available (for free) on the iOS and visionOS App Store (and coming soon to AltStore PAL)! Kudos to the AltStore team for their help and to Apple for reconsidering their policy. https://t.co/HAV5JnT5GOJuly 13, 2024
As is typical with these types of emulators, there are no operating systems included with UTM SE – you just get the emulator itself. It’s up to you to venture out into the wilds of the web and find the software you want to run with UTM SE (and decide whether to pay for it).
Emulators take this approach because neither they nor Apple can be legally responsible for what you do with them. Running emulators on your phone is perfectly legal, while pirating old software and games often isn’t – at least technically.
It’s this murky gray area of legality that has kept emulators out of the iOS App Store until recently. However, as Apple faces increasing pressure from regulators, it has taken steps to reduce the amount of gatekeeping it does in terms of user choice.
The same regulatory pressure means that third-party app stores for iPhone are now permitted in the EU, and UTM SE is also available via the AltStore. It is free to install and contains no in-app purchases.