Web Distribution Is Finally Here

Because of new European Union regulations, Apple has been forced to reduce the amount of control it has over its own App Store, which means iOS 17.5 will finally let you download apps from third-party websites.

This is called Website Distribution, and it will only affect people in the European Union. If that’s you, you’ll be able to download apps that specific developers host on their own websites.

If you’re a developer, you must meet very specific requirements to host your app on your own website. These include having over one million new installs on iOS in the prior year. 

While you won’t be able to download all your favorite apps from a third-party website, this will bring a few extra benefits for developers and users in the future.