'Apple has made it difficult to install third-party apps by complicating the installation flow, and Google has not made any improvements,' Epic Games pointed out.
In iOS 18.6, released in July 2025, the installation process for third-party app markets was simplified from 15 steps to six. As a result, the rate of abandonment due to the hassle of installation dropped from 65% to 25%. Epic Games cited data to argue that 'Apple's previous design was driving users away, and Google's design still has the same problems.'
Apple's Improved 6-Step Install Flow Proves That Scare Screens and Deceptive Design Undermine Competition - Epic Games
Epic says it has proof Apple was scaring users off third-party app stores | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/789421/epic-games-store-ios-android-installations
The EU's Digital Markets Act , which came into effect in 2023, defines major platforms and the companies that provide them as 'gatekeepers' and imposes strict regulations, with violations subject to fines of up to 10% of the previous year's total global revenue. The gatekeepers designated are Apple, Google's parent company Alphabet, Amazon, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft. In March 2024, the European Commission announced that it was investigating Apple, Alphabet, and Meta for suspected violations of the Digital Markets Act. As a result of the investigation, the European Commission determined that Apple had not complied with its obligation to allow app developers to 'steer' users to services outside the App Store without charging them a fee.
Apple could become first company to be prosecuted under EU digital market law - GIGAZINE
One of the issues raised under the Digital Markets Act is the 'complexity of the process for installing third-party apps.' Below are the steps Epic Games provided for installing third-party apps on Apple devices running iOS 18.6 or earlier. After visiting the site, users must tap Allow, tap Install, return to the Home screen, tap the Settings app, allow the third-party app they want to add, confirm the permission, return to the Settings app, relaunch the browser from the Home screen, and complete the installation. While the process itself is simple, it involves many extra steps compared to simply installing an app from the App Store.
Also, below are the steps to install third-party apps on Android 12, which also involve 12 steps.
In response to this situation, the European Commission announced the results of its preliminary investigation into the rules on third-party apps in April 2025. The investigation found that Apple had not complied with the Digital Markets Act, citing that the process for users to install third-party apps was 'unduely burdensome and confusing' and that Apple had introduced overly strict eligibility requirements that prevented developers from distributing third-party apps.
Following the European Commission's warning, Apple significantly improved the third-party app installation process in iOS 18.6, released in July 2025. Below are the steps for installing third-party apps in iOS 18.6, as outlined by Epic Games. After tapping 'Install' on the site and granting permission, the installation is completed simply by proceeding through the confirmation process, shortening the process from 15 steps to just 6.
As a result, Epic Games says that the 'churn rate,' or the rate at which users abandon an app mid-installation, dropped from 65% to 25% when comparing iOS 18.6 and iOS 18.6. The graph below shows the monthly churn rate from Epic Games. We can see that the churn rate dropped sharply around August 2025, after the release of iOS 18.6.
Epic Games claims that the high abandonment rate was due to the need to separately tweak the Settings app, which bogged down users, and the display of 'scare-inducing warning screens' such as 'third-party apps may be harmful to your smartphone.' Epic Games claims that improvements to the installation process in iOS 18.6 have helped reduce abandonment rates to levels similar to those of Windows and macOS, although some Apple designs still contain anti-competitive practices.
On the other hand, Epic Games criticized the third-party app installation process on Android, which has not been improved like iOS 18.6, and continues to violate the Digital Markets Act. The abandonment rate for third-party app installs on Android remains at 50%, and Epic Games also mentioned this in its lawsuit against Google.
Due to Epic Games' lawsuit and related EU laws, various aspects of Apple and Google's monopoly are gradually being lifted, such as payment fees for iOS and Android, whether external payment links are permitted, and restrictions on app distribution. However, restrictions have not been completely lifted, such as the fact that Epic's third-party app, the Epic Games Store, is limited to the EU. Further lawsuits between Epic Games and Google may result in more extensive changes in the future.
Google loses appeal against Epic Games, allowing Epic Games Store to appear on Google Play - GIGAZINE
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