iOS Apps From Alternative Marketplaces Can Be Updated for 30 Days Outside of EU

[MacRumors]

Apple today clarified that iPhone users in the European Union can continue to update and use apps from alternative app marketplaces for a 30-day period when leaving the EU.

With the release of iOS 17.4, Apple published a number of support documents, and one of the pages outlined what happens when an iPhone user with apps installed through an alternative app marketplace leaves the EU. At the time, the document said that there would be an unspecified "grace period," but Apple has now updated it to provide exact timing.

EU iPhone users who travel outside of the area can expect to be able to update apps installed through alternative app marketplaces for a 30-day period, but after that, apps will not be able to be updated.

Installing alternative app marketplaces and the apps in those marketplaces is restricted to the European Union at all times, so travelers will not be able to install new apps through a marketplace while out of their home country or one of the 27 countries in the EU. Apps that have been downloaded can continue to be opened and used, even if they can't be updated.

If you leave the European Union, you can continue to open and use apps that you previously installed from alternative app marketplaces. Alternative app marketplaces can continue updating those apps for up to 30 days after you leave the European Union, and you can continue using alternative app marketplaces to manage previously installed apps. However, you must be in the European Union to install alternative app marketplaces and new apps from alternative app marketplaces.

Apple makes it clear that iPhone users who want to install apps outside of the App Store must be physically located in a country in the European Union and their Apple ID must also be set to a country or region in the EU. Apple uses privacy-focused on-device processing to determine whether a user is eligible to install an alternative app marketplace.

Article Link: iOS Apps From Alternative Marketplaces Can Be Updated for 30 Days Outside of EU

 

[erikkfi]

Apple seems hellbent on burning goodwill and getting people to see them as the enemy. Good luck with that strategy in the long term.

 

[till]

I don't think Apple has ever done this kind of geofencing before. I used a US account on the App Store for years while I lived in Europe, you just need a US payment method.

 

[canadianreader]

Apple in charge of everything I don't know why they're calling it alternative.

 

[treacher]

It's not even very long. Many countries give you 90-day stamps when visiting.

 

[Timpetus]

What if you have a VPN in the EU?

 

[oofio2461]

Only 30 days? Most people do vacations for way longer than 30 days, it didn't have to be this complicated at all.

 

[Graphikos]

What if you have a VPN in the EU?

VPN doesn't change your GPS location.

 

[Account25476]

They're making things unnecessarily complicated.

 

[Graphikos]

Only 30 days? Most people do vacations for way longer than 30 days, it didn't have to be this complicated at all.

Most people? Really? Way longer?

 

[spazzcat]

Only 30 days? Most people do vacations for way longer than 30 days, it didn't have to be this complicated at all.

I would think most people taking a vacation 100% outside of the EU would be 1-2 weeks at most.

 

[coolfactor]

Only 30 days? Most people do vacations for way longer than 30 days, it didn't have to be this complicated at all.

Most people? 🤪 Way longer? 🤪 You must be of that elite type. 🤣 I know I was itching to go home after 3 weeks, and that was my last vacation 25 years ago. 🤣🤣🤣

Apple can still do better with this.

 

[sirdir]

Apple has become a controlfreak and a bully. So if I buy software here and move, I can't re-download it or update it after 30 days. Because they are concerned for my security? Yeah sure. I hope they get sued into the ground.

 

[spazzcat]

They're making things unnecessarily complicated.

From what I understand this is fairly normal even streaming services do it.

 

[mvwoensel]

Apple complains about how sideloading will destroy the security of iPhones, but then also prevents users from updating apps on their devices when they've been outside the EU for more than 30 days...

What an idiotic restriction and completely inconsistent with all the requirements Apple has put in place for alternative stores regarding privacy, security, automatic updates, etc.

 

[treacher]

So if someone moves to another non-EU country, they are allowed to change their App Store region, but they have to relinquish all alternative apps.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Such a joke. They’re making such a mess of it. Gone are the days of apples elegance I guess.

Stop being children and do things properly.

 

[AhRiHmAn]

I live in UE but will never use all of this…
I keep using Safari and Apple Music anyway , that’s the reason I’ve purshased an iPhone.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

I would think most people taking a vacation 100% outside of the EU would be 1-2 weeks at most.

Maybe the poster was meaning your allowed to travel to say to the U.K from the EU and stay isn’t it 6 months, more so visiting family than a holiday, 30 days before being restricted is pathetic

 

[SamRyouji]

30 days? They should make it 90 days like a regular tourist visas imho.

 

[Realityck]

Only 30 days? Most people do vacations for way longer than 30 days, it didn't have to be this complicated at all.

Likely this will change given the justifications here of extended time where you are temporary outside your country of origin. Its appears that Apple is trying to be fair to consumers, and then being reminded that is not really fair at all for all situations. It's new for them to have something different for a region, not the whole world. I hate to be in the hot seat of whoever is establishing these policies right now at Apple.

 

[GizmoDVD]

Apple has become a controlfreak and a bully. So if I buy software here and move, I can't re-download it or update it after 30 days. Because they are concerned for my security? Yeah sure. I hope they get sued into the ground.

...from the alternative app store.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I wonder if Apple is doing this because they know they can hold up any litigation in court for a long time... in the meantime, they can make the process of using alternative app stores so unpleasant that no one will use them. 😅

 

[cuiver]

Microsoft of the 90s looking amateurish compared to this...

 

[kylelerner]

The EU spends about $6.3billion annually on the Apple App Store.
That's $525million per month.

No wonder Apple took the $2b penalty (or penalties, in general) - they make that back (in revenue) in 4 months.
They will continue to play cat-and-mouse with the EU because they can.

This is going to be a long-drawn-out game from Apple, on purpose.
All the meanwhile, they can prepare to further "warn" and "scare" customers until the EU really doubles-down.

If only even 10% of EU users started using Alt App Stores - that would cost Apple ~$52.5m/month.
Assuming they exclusively use the Alt App Stores, and actively download apps.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

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Apple App Store Consumer Spending reached $90billion in 2023 - source.
Apple stated that the EU makes up 7% of the global App Store Consumer spending - source.