The European Commission has required Apple to make a number of additional changes under the Digital Markets Act:
Communication and promotion of offers.
- Today, we are introducing updated terms that allow developers with apps in the European Union App Store stores to communicate and promote offers for the purchase of digital goods or services available in the destination of their choice. The destination can be a website, alternative app marketplace, or another app, and can be accessed from outside or inside the app through a web view or native experience.
- App Store apps that communicate and promote offers for digital goods or services will be subject to new commercial terms for those transactions: an initial acquisition fee, a store services fee, and for apps in StoreKit’s External Purchase Link Rights (EU) Annex, the Central Technology Commission (CTC). The CTC reflects the value Apple offers developers through continued investments in tools, technologies and services that enable them to create and share innovative applications with users.
- Music streaming apps on the App Store in the European Economic Area (EEA) that wish to use the Right to Music Streaming Services (EEA) can use these options.
Update of commercial terms for applications in the European Union
- By January 1, 2026, Apple plans to move to a single business model in the EU for all developers. Under this unique business model, Apple will move from the Basic Technology Fee (CTF) to the CTC on digital goods or services. The CTC will apply to digital goods or services sold by applications distributed from the App Store, Web Distribution and/or alternative markets.
- Applications currently under the Alternative Terms Annex for Applications in the EU continue to be subject only to the CTF until the transition to the CTC is fully implemented next year. At that time, qualifying transactions will be subject to the CTC and the CTF will no longer apply. Additional details regarding this transition will be provided at a later date.
User experience update
- Starting with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, iOS and iPadOS will provide an updated user experience in the EU for installing alternative markets or apps from a developer’s website. Additionally, later this year, we will provide an API that will allow developers to initiate the download of alternatively distributed applications that they publish from their application.
For more information, see Communicating and promoting offers on the App Store in the EU. To read the full terms, see the Alternative Terms Addendum for EU Apps or the StoreKit External Purchase Link Rights Addendum for EU Apps. You can also request a 30-minute appointment online to ask questions and provide feedback about these changes.
