summary
- Apple will soon roll out new default app selection options for iOS and iPadOS.
- Initially, this will include Phone, Messages, Keyboard, Call Spam Filter, Password Manager, and will also allow you to remove certain Apple apps like Safari and App Store.
- This is just the beginning, with plans to add default navigation and translation apps next year.
The walls around Apple's walled garden continue to slowly crumble as the company introduces features that were once virtually taboo for it, primarily due to new European Union regulations. Some of these changes, such as the addition of USB-C ports, have affected the iPhone line globally, but not all of them have been rolled out worldwide. Earlier this year, Apple updated iOS to allow users in the EU to change their default email and browser apps, and soon after began opening up the platform to third-party app stores. Today, Apple announced (via The Verge ) that it's extending those controls even further.
By the end of the year, iOS and iPadOS will let you set default apps for Phone, Messages, Keyboard, Incoming Spam Filter, and even Password Manager. In the EU, you'll also get the option to remove apps like App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, Safari, and more. The only apps you can't remove are the Settings and Phone apps.
Apple is also making some slight changes to the EU browser choice screen. Starting with the next update, if Safari is set as the default browser, it will require users to scroll through the entire list of alternative browsers on first launch, even if they've already seen this browser choice screen before. This allows users to explore their options more closely and also informs them of any options that may have changed.
The new screen also includes additional information about third-party browsers that wasn't available in the previous browser selection screen. Developers will be especially happy to know that Apple will soon be sending more data about the selection screen, allowing companies to track performance and improve accordingly.
All of this marks a big (if somewhat forced) change for Apple, and it's only the beginning: Apple plans to introduce even more customizable default settings, including navigation and translation app options, in the spring of 2025.
While all these changes are great, keep in mind that they only apply to the EU and will likely remain that way unless the US government considers a similar crackdown or is driven by consumer demand to make changes. Still, it's a small step, right?