Apple appears to have acknowledged that it will simplify the transition from iPhone to Android, as well as open up other areas of its walled garden, in order to comply with new EU rules.
Apple writes on pages 10-11 of its Non-Confidential Summary of DMA Compliance Report (via The Verge) that it “plans to make further changes to its user data portability offering.”
“Apple is working on a solution to enable mobile operating system vendors provide more user-friendly solutions for transferring data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone. Apple intends to have this option accessible by autumn 2025.”
This portion of the report also mentions the availability of alternative cross-OS data transfer mechanisms, most likely referring to Google’s Switch to Android app, which makes it easier to transition from iPhone to Android. However, because this program does not transmit everything, leaving behind important elements such as text messages and premium apps, there is certainly opportunity for expansion. And hopefully, that’s what Apple is referring to in the previous comment, even if it takes more than a year to materialize.
Opening the gate to the walled garden
The complete paper reveals how Apple intends to satisfy the standards of the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA), a recently enacted rule aimed at preventing huge businesses like Apple from dominating the digital sector. This offers alternative app stores, the ability to log in using ways other than Sign in with Apple, and faster data transfer from Safari to other browsers, as well as the option to remove Safari entirely.
Apple’s statement does not specify whether these will be worldwide adjustments or ones that only apply to EU iPhone owners. Going by how Apple’s iOS 17.4 betas have made other app stores an EU-only choice, it appears that the most, if not all, of these policies will be Europe-specific, potentially depriving U.S. and other iPhone customers across the world of some fairly valuable features.
We’ll keep an eye out for additional details on these improvements to the iPhone experience as the Digital Markets Act becomes more entrenched. In the meantime, you might want to learn more about iOS 18, the upcoming major iPhone software update that could bring more DMA-inspired tweaks as well as significant AI advancements.
