There’s been a lot of talk in recent months about how the European Union (EU) is bursting through the door of the iPhone’s walled garden, forcing Apple to let European iOS users sideload apps from alternative app stores if they want. But there is little news so far about how this will affect the iPad.
Yesterday the The EU has categorized the iPadOS operating system as a “gatekeeper,” meaning it will fall under the same Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules that forced Apple to open up its iOS ecosystem. Having reached this conclusion, the EU has stated that “Apple now has six months to ensure that iPadOS is fully compliant with its DMA obligations.”
While iOS and iPadOS are technically different operating systems, they are very similar on both the front and back, and have only existed as separate entities since Apple spun off iPadOS in 2019.
Most importantly, they use the same app distribution method as each other, specifically only from Apple’s shuttered App Store. That means that if the EU ruled that iOS was a gatekeeper and should be opened up, the same would probably always have been the case for iPadOS.
What does this mean for you?
From a practical point of view, the EU’s decision could have huge consequences for iPad users. We’ve already seen Apple being forced to open up iOS, and similar changes will likely come to iPadOS as well.
We expect that you will no longer be limited to only downloading apps from the App Store. On iOS, Apple allows users in the EU to purchase apps from both third-party app stores and directly from developer websites. We imagine similar changes will come to iPadOS.
However, it won’t be completely free. Apple has said that for app developers to allow downloads from its websites, they must have been part of the Apple Developer Program for two consecutive years, have at least one million first-time installs in the EU in the past year, and submit their apps to notarization, which allows Apple to check for malicious code and other nasty stuff. These measures are intended to protect users against viruses and Trojan horses, something Apple has warned people about.
Interestingly, the EU says that one of the reasons iPadOS was designated as a gatekeeper platform is because “end users are locked into iPadOS. Apple is leveraging its large ecosystem to discourage end users from switching to other tablet operating systems.” This claim could have seismic implications, as it seems to suggest that Apple should allow other operating systems – such as Android – on its iPads.
We’ll have to see how the situation on iPadOS unfolds. For now, it will likely follow a similar trajectory to iOS, opening up alternative app stores and offering you another way to download apps to your tablet. Behind it lies a sea of uncertainty and speculation.