iOS 26 Allows Cellular Calls and SMS/RCS in Third-Party Apps in EU

[GrassShark]

Microsoft Blames European Commission for Major Worldwide Outage

Last Friday, a major CrowdStrike outage impacted PCs running Microsoft Windows, causing worldwide issues affecting airlines, retailers, banks,...

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A company passing blame isn't exactly a smoking gun. I'm no expert, but everything I've read from people with much more technical and legal knowledge than myself led me to believe that Microsoft didn't actually have to provide unrestricted kernel access, they just chose to because it was easier than developing more specialised APIs and hooks into the system that would give appropriate sandboxing/safety. (EDIT: and just to be clear, this is just my impression from things I've read, I'm totally open to the possibility that it's wrong, I would just like to see that explanation from someone other than a party directly involved)

If you tell a kid to clean their room, and they do it by burning all their garbage and dirty laundry in an pile in the middle of their bed, it's not your fault for telling them to clean — the kid did a bad job of the thing they had to do.

 

[racerhomie]

So… just don't use shady third-party dialers. Do you think Apple is getting rid of the Phone and Message apps in the EU or something?

This is a terrible thing to leave open to 3rd parties. I am not personally worried about this. This is a policy that should be fought in the courts

 

[racerhomie]

So… just don't use shady third-party dialers. Do you think Apple is getting rid of the Phone and Message apps in the EU or something?

Literally all this means is Apple might face some feature competition from third party apps using cellular services. Worst case if you don't intentionally use a third party app for these things is that maybe Apple picks up a cool feature or two that they never would have bothered with if they didn't have a little competition.

I get the competition, but it’s still not a good thing to leave open

 

[Kottu]

This is exactly how it should be, worldwide.

For EU customers, this is enabling a better and more flexible overall computing device that is more adaptable to user needs and preferences.

It's absolutely mesmerizing to watch people argue against their own interests.

Why would you not want the ability to use any service you'd prefer as the back end for the Phone & Messages app?

There is zero drawback to having this as an option.

The Phone app on iPhone is terrible. Sadly, even when new third-party phone apps hit the market—even paid ones—I worry they’ll come with some hidden clause that grants them access to the entire device.

 

[Chaos215bar2]

This is a terrible thing to leave open to 3rd parties. I am not personally worried about this. This is a policy that should be fought in the courts

Can you actually explain why?

 

[Chaos215bar2]

The Phone app on iPhone is terrible. Sadly, even when new third-party phone apps hit the market—even paid ones—I worry they’ll come with some hidden clause that grants them access to the entire device.

"Hidden clauses" are not a thing on iOS. If an app wants access to user data, you're going to get a popup explaining exactly what it's asking for with some very clear buttons. Don't allow access if you don't trust the app.

 

[GrassShark]

WhatsApp can already be used as default calling & messaging app on iOS

How?

 

[ifxf]

This is absolutely insane. The privacy implications if Developers sell your Phone metadata for different purposes is real. This has been a HUGE issue on Android in the past. The EU deserves to be fought in the courts and this needs restrictions!

American cell phone companies have sold cell data and have freely given cell data to the government in the name of security, so I don’t see why providing APIs is worse.

 

[ifxf]

This is a terrible thing to leave open to 3rd parties. I am not personally worried about this. This is a policy that should be fought in the courts

You are free as a user to stay with the default options but don’t try to impose your views on other users.

 

[justanotherdave]

This is optional, just like if people buy apps outside the App Store. If the user decides to change from the default app, that’s on the user

I wonder how many people will change the app just because they can? Maybe to WhatsApp. I suspect any change from default apps will come with a warning from Apple

Let’s say I decide not to use a 3rd party dialer. But my friend does. Now any interactions I have with my friend could be recorded by the 3rd party App that THEY installed.

The idea that if you don’t install 3rd party Apps you’re not affected is ridiculous.

 

[Cesar Battistini]

Another thing that ads complexity to a streamlined experience. Thanks dad government.

 

[racerhomie]

Can you actually explain why?

The privacy implications if Developers sell the metadata and other details for different purposes. Check my original comment

 

[justanotherdave]

American cell phone companies have sold cell data and have freely given cell data to the government in the name of security, so I don’t see why providing APIs is worse.

Do cell phone companies send random SMS messages to my grandma in the hopes of tricking her to send money to her grandson?

 

[racerhomie]

How?

iPhone users can now set WhatsApp as their default calling and texting app

More choices.

www.theverge.com

 

[racerhomie]

American cell phone companies have sold cell data and have freely given cell data to the government in the name of security, so I don’t see why providing APIs is worse.

This is an American issue and those should be fixed by Americans. I am talking about this as an OS level security issue. Thankfully Apple restricted this to the EU

 

[GrassShark]

iPhone users can now set WhatsApp as their default calling and texting app

More choices.

www.theverge.com

Interesting, I totally missed that when it came out. Not that I'd ever pick Whatsapp as a default, if I was changing to anything it would be Signal.

 

[racerhomie]

You are free as a user to stay with the default options but don’t try to impose your views on other users.

Tell that to Millions of Android users who had their Phone Contacts & Metadata sold and analyzed. It’s Coming soon to EU iOS users

 

[vantelimus]

This is optional, just like if people buy apps outside the App Store. If the user decides to change from the default app, that’s on the user

I wonder how many people will change the app just because they can? Maybe to WhatsApp. I suspect any change from default apps will come with a warning from Apple

Just putting it on the user is too simplistic given the potential for fraud and the propensity for people to fall for social engineering scams and peer pressure.

 

[O.N.Y.X]

Do EU citizens even want an iPhone if every single aspect of it has to be 3rd party capable?

EU citizen here. My answer to this: No, absolutely not. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Apple‘s walled garden but this goes way too far.

 

[vantelimus]

Literally all this means is Apple might face some feature competition from third party apps using cellular services. Worst case if you don't intentionally use a third party app for these things is that maybe Apple picks up a cool feature or two that they never would have bothered with if they didn't have a little competition.

This doesn’t increase competition. The Phone and Messages apps are part of the system. You pay Apple for them when you buy the hardware and accept the software license to run the OS.

 

[FastLaneJB]

At this point it would be easier for the EU to just have one state-sponsored smart phone manufacturer that is made to allow any software capability the EU wants with no design framework or unified ecosystem. Do EU citizens even want an iPhone if every single aspect of it has to be 3rd party capable?

Well I suspect most EU citizens don’t want this and don’t even know anything about it. The things governments do isn’t always something you’ll agree with but it’s also how the world works. They make these decisions on our behalf, normally on topics that never even cross our minds.

Pretty sure you could put your finger on something that’s happening in the U.S. right now you won’t agree with.

 

[ApAx]

EU citizen here. My answer to this: No, absolutely not. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Apple‘s walled garden but this goes way too far.

At some point Apple should be able to maintain some control of their own products without government forcing them to make iPhone the big happy socialist smart phone

 

[vantelimus]

There is zero drawback to having this as an option.

You act as if everyone in the world is tech savvy, that information symmetry exists, and all people have the same ability to reason. Worse, you are assuming people are rational. You ignore the fact that many people are unable to resist the peer pressure to change their apps to the current one favored by the in-group of which they are desperate to remain a part. This is not true for a majority of people.

 

[rjp1]

fracturedOS 26

 

[klasma]

Imagine Google/Meta makes a "phone" app and buries a "we can transcribe your voicemails and use it to sell ads to you" or "we'll use who you call to improve our network of who you know to help sell ads" clause in the EULA.

Such burying would be in violation of EU data protection laws.