Apple to Expand App Store Freedom to Japan with iOS 26.2
Toma Areno
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On Tuesday, Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.2 to developers, with an interesting surprise for users in Japan. The new beta allows third-party alternatives to the App Store to be installed on iPhones in that country, while also adding a prompt that allows device users to designate a preferred search engine.
These mirror the changes Apple introduced in the European Union in early 2024 in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Now, it looks like it’s extended that approach to comply with similar legislation in Japan.
Alternative App Stores
A post shared on X by @Tzzlala notes that iPhone users in Japan who have installed the iOS 26.2 beta can now install alternative app stores, including AltStore PAL and Epic Games, just as easily as those in the EU. While this also means users can download and install apps from these other stores, they remain EU-focused for now and haven’t yet been adapted for Japan, so not everything will work as expected. For example, Fortnite in-app purchases are currently region-blocked by Epic.
Alternative app marketplaces first became available for iPhone and iPad users in 27 EU countries last year, allowing them to install apps from third-party app stores in iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 18. However, this was strictly a matter of regulatory compliance; Apple has not allowed users to do so in any other region of the world — until now.
Apple is allowing Japanese users to install apps from third-party app marketplaces, thanks to the Japanese parliament’s approval of legislation designed to curb the dominance of large tech firms, such as Apple and Google, in the smartphone market. The new law, which was passed in June 2024, requires them to allow third-party app stores and payment providers on their platforms.
In August 2025, the Japan Fair Trade Commission established the Mobile Software Distribution Fair Competition Act (MSD-FCA), a new framework designed to ensure fair competition on mobile platforms. The new guidelines prohibit platform operators such as Apple and Google from blocking or restricting the availability of alternative app stores and payment systems on their mobile devices.
The new guidelines will go into effect on December 18, 2025, just days after Apple typically ships its December “.2” update — iOS 17.2 and 18.2 both arrived on December 11 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. In this case, Apple has a hard deadline to release its updates this year, at least in Japan.
Epic Games is poised to take advantage of Apple’s December compliance deadline, announcing plans to bring its game store platform and its popular Fortnite game to the iOS platform in Japan by the end of 2025.
Japan Users Can Select a Preferred Search Engine
In addition to alternative app marketplaces, iOS 26.2 also introduces a prompt to allow Japanese users to select a preferred search engine. A Reddit user notes the search engine prompt appears after first installing iOS 26.2.
iPhone users in Japan can select a default search engine from several search providers, including Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Google, or Yahoo Japan.
Unlike in the EU, where iPhone users are shown a browser choice screen, Japanese users will only see an option to select a different search engine for Safari. While iPhone users everywhere have long been able to change this, it requires navigating to the Safari section of the Settings app. Google pays Apple approximately $20 billion per year to remain the default search engine in Safari, which is likely why Apple makes users go through extra steps in most of the world.
Japan’s recently established guidelines require Apple to present a neutral search engine choice screen during initial setup so that users are aware they have other options. It will also be presented immediately after iOS 26.2 is installed, so that users upgrading are given the same choice as those setting up a new iPhone for the first time.
It should be noted that, while Google is the dominant search engine in many countries, Yahoo Japan is also used heavily in the Asian country.
For now, Apple is opening up the App Store only where lawmakers are forcing the issue. Still, with Japan joining the EU, it’s likely only a matter of time before others follow suit. The bigger question is whether Apple will eventually adopt a more global approach or continue to leave its customers with a regionally fragmented app ecosystem.
