Apple opens iOS to rival app stores in Brazil

This article was published on June 18, 2026 Beginning with iOS 26.5, Brazilian users can download apps from alternative marketplaces and developers can process payments outside Apple’s system. The changes mirror what the EU forced Apple to do under the Digital Markets Act. TL;DRApple is opening iOS to alternative app marketplaces and third-party payment processing in Brazil, following a December 2025 antitrust settlement with CADE. The changes take effect with iOS 26.5 and follow the same template Apple introduced in the EU under the Digital Markets Act. Apple is opening iOS to alternative app marketplaces and third-party payment processing in Brazil, following a December 2025 antitrust settlement with CADE. The changes take effect with iOS 26.5 and follow the same template Apple introduced in the EU under the Digital Markets Act. Apple on Wednesday announced changes to iOS in Brazil that will allow developers to distribute apps through alternative marketplaces, operate their own app stores, and process payments for digital goods outside Apple’s In-App Purchase system. The changes take effect with iOS 26.5 and stem from a settlement with Brazil’s competition regulator CADE. Brazil