They do. Meta was just fined 100 million because they were logging passwords in clear text for over 600 million accounts. Over 6000 developers had access to those and everybody was wondering why oh why their facebook or instagram account were constantly “hacked“.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iOS 18.2 Lets EU Users Delete App Store, Safari, Messages, Camera and Photos
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Most system apps should be in the App Store anyway and be deletable (obvious exceptions like Settings). Plus if they’re in the App Store they can be updated independently of iOS updates.
Also I’m very genuinely confused by all the negative comments about a feature you don’t have to use. You’re in the EU and prefer using the default iOS apps instead of 3rd party apps? Great, don’t delete them then!
People were absolutely cheering when they made apps like Stocks, Compass, and Podcasts deletable I don’t see how this is any different.
Also I’m very genuinely confused by all the negative comments about a feature you don’t have to use. You’re in the EU and prefer using the default iOS apps instead of 3rd party apps? Great, don’t delete them then!
People were absolutely cheering when they made apps like Stocks, Compass, and Podcasts deletable I don’t see how this is any different.
Last edited:
Can’t wait for my mom to call me and tell me she deleted the internet of her iPhone/iPad.
The space taken up by the software isn't going away. This is a glorified hide an app workaround.
Lots of people in the EU are actually complaining about the EU itself.
I am in the EU. I'd never consider ditching my App Store app and I don't care at all about alternative app stores, nor do I care about apps which can or cannot be deleted. I hate being babied by the EU as if I'm some over-sensitive, highly vulnerable snowflake. The EU regulations are damaging for the EU itself, yes, I do acknowledge these regulations certainly have several benefits but at what price?
For anyone wondering what this means, Microsoft forced OEM’s to leave Internet Explorer on devices they sold even if those OEM’s might have wanted to cut a deal to include Netscape instead (among other illegal activities). If you’re wondering why this is being compared to Apple, that notably has no OEM’s, that’s a good thought to have.
Not buying an iPhone before I can install android, apple forcing iOS on me is paternalism 😤🤬
But why can't Camera, Safari, etc be reinstalled via the App Store? So now there will be 2 separate places to download Apple apps.
If you’re going try and insult someone, at least do it correctly.
You can always buy an iPad Mini (new one released today), that doesn't have the Phone app. And it's only marginally larger than a large iPhone.
Yes users by error and then call support because his/her iPhone is broken and does not have App Store...
I never thought about removing the App Store before but can see the benefit of removing it when setting up a new phone for a younger child or an older parent.
Less risk of them doing something that will either cost money by accident or cause them harm.
Less risk of them doing something that will either cost money by accident or cause them harm.
Next the EU will complain that you can't delete the Phone app.... /s
What about being able to replace the phone app or the messaging app for SMS text or replace the browser with a non-WebKit browser?
Do third party camera clients really think they have a higher change of earning their spot as my default app of choice just because the camera app can now be removed?
I think it's safe to say that most people buy a smartphone these days expecting it to be a full-fledged package right out of the box (ie: all the default apps come preinstalled). How many people actually want a blank slate where you have to even install the App Store first before you can download the other stock apps like mail, safari, camera and notes? Just feels like a whole load of extra wasted time for no benefit, and how much space can you save from not having these apps on your device even?
I think it's safe to say that most people buy a smartphone these days expecting it to be a full-fledged package right out of the box (ie: all the default apps come preinstalled). How many people actually want a blank slate where you have to even install the App Store first before you can download the other stock apps like mail, safari, camera and notes? Just feels like a whole load of extra wasted time for no benefit, and how much space can you save from not having these apps on your device even?
What about being able to replace the phone app or the messaging app for SMS text or replace the browser with a non-WebKit browser?
First two things are in the 18.2 beta.
Halide usually gets exceptional reviews. I could see replacing default apps being popular with power/pro users, much like it is on the Android side of things. People that want to get a little more out of their devices.
I mean ... why can't ya?
Someone might want to optimize up an old iPhone as an "iPod Touch"
Or simply use their iPhone as a data only iPhone with a VOIP app (which they can do now, but they might like to delete the Phone app to eliminate conflict potential when clicking a phone number in a contact card, etc)
Part of the point of the camera app is that I can launch it from my lock screen and switch between taking photos and videos on the fly.
To my understanding, halide just lets you take photos. While I understand wanting to be able to default to your preferred camera app and being able to launch it from say, your lock screen or the new camera control button, what happens when you want to take a video, only have a photography app on your phone and your stock camera app has been deleted out of some misguided notion of wanting to go “Marie Condo” with your apps?
You know what? Maybe it will he funny if iPhones in the EU shipped without the App Store (find some way to blame the DMA for that) and watch the majority of users freak out.
We also have the enterprise software SAP, the German's revenge for loosing two world wars.
Power users shouldn't have features that may be useful to them because of contrived circumstances is certainly a take. Is it misguided to want to make a tool more useful in ways that the user prefers? Moreover, why shouldn't someone be able to "Marie Condo" their apps if they so pleased? Digital minimalists exist, for better or for worse!
Plus - who cares how other people use their phones? If someone misses taking a video because they fumbled their phone that's their fault and is hilarious. Who are we to deprive ourselves of such entertainment?
You know what? Maybe it will he funny if iPhones in the EU shipped without the App Store (find some way to blame the DMA for that) and watch the majority of users freak out.
Maybe, but probably not. It'd be funnier if the App Store came on a USB-C stick that had to be installed after setup, like back when Best Buy "gave" you an antivirus CD with your new laptop.
Edited USB to USB-C, to be better complaint with EU regulation.
My mother, for one. This will invariably lead to Apple (not the EU) expending more time and money helping customers that deleted a default app. We will all pay for this. This will (and already has) caused Apple to spend engineering resources that we all pay for, to benefit the few.
If that’s the trade you’re asking us all to make, that’s fine. But know that you’re making it, and understand that some of us see little to no return value.
Because the EU mandated the ability to delete the Apple App Store. That’s right. It’s going to be a cluster for the non-techie to appease the techie. Android has always been there for those people.
Agreed. I often use Halide. I also hand my phone off to people to take photos often enough that I want a recognizable intuative easy to use phone app. The day I’m handed a phone with the only option to take a photo being a terrible app, I’m handing the phone back.
I think you’re generally right (though that particular example could be “fixed” with 3rd party camera apps). Users for which “hide app” wasn’t good enough are cheering at the grief of others. I find it weird. I get the distinct feeling that a bunch of the commenters aren’t old enough to have had to help the relatives with their desktop OSe. They think these changes have zero negative effect, and thus don’t mind that it benefits only them in a tiny way.
I like how everyone complains about apple intelligence but the second the eu breathes people point out how they don't have it.
I for one would like to be able to delete safari rather then having chatgpt running in the background 24/7. I can already imagine the battery drain.
Again, that’s the same matter of principle, whose interest are in command?
Privacy should not be a product.
The reason why Apple is able to pulling it off, by selling YOU privacy as a product, is precisely the same reason that enables and justifies Google and Meta to sell YOUR privacy as a product.
Meta, Google and Apple are all the same thing, multinational corporations that exist within a system that is designed to serve them.
Last edited: