Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- To comply with the DMA, Apple is working on making it easier to transfer data from an iPhone to a non-Apple device.
- Apple will put out its data transfer solution by fall 2025.
- The company is also making it possible to uninstall Safari and change the default navigation app on iOS.
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is forcing Apple to shake things up with its walled garden in a way it has never done before. As it attempts to comply with the regulation, the company will make it easier to switch from an iPhone to an Android.
First spotted by The Verge, Apple has now released a document that outlines how it will comply with the DMA. Within the document, the firm details it is working on “user-friendly solutions to transfer data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone.” However, it looks like we’ll have to wait until fall next year for that data transfer solution to arrive.
There are a few other interesting tidbits in the document related to the default browser and navigation apps as well. In addition to creating a data transfer solution, Apple says it is also working on a “browser switching solution” that will come out in late 2024 or early 2025. The browser solution will allow you to transfer data to another browser on the same device. And if you want to get rid of Safari altogether, users will also be able to so by the end of 2024.
As for navigation apps, iPhone users will be able to change the default app to one of their choosing. This is said to go into effect by March 2025 in the EU.
It’s unclear if Apple will bring these changes to users outside of the EU. But based on how it is handling other DMA compliance measures, like sideloading, it is probable the changes will be exclusive to the EU.
