iOS 17.4 with support for third-party app stores is here
Apple has released iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will come into force soon. This release brings support for third-party app stores and many other changes mandated by the Digital Markets Act. However, all DMA-related changes are only available in the EU.
Any browser that isn’t Apple’s Safari can use whatever rendering engine its developers want on iOS 17.4. The first time you open Safari after installing the update, your iPhone or iPad will display a browser selection screen. There is also another plus point for iPhone users in the EU: NFC will work with alternative wallet and banking apps. So you are no longer solely dependent on Apple Pay.
These are all EU-specific things. The iOS 17.4 update also brings automatic podcast transcriptions in English, Spanish, French and German. Additionally, there are new emoji including the mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads. There are also fixes for two allegedly exploited security vulnerabilities. Not least for this reason, you should update your Apple iPhone or iPad as quickly as possible.
