Overview
- Apple’s iOS 26.2 in Japan enables authorized third‑party app marketplaces and alternative in‑app payments or web links, with Apple In‑App Purchase presented alongside any alternative.
- Apple introduced new fees: 10% or 21% App Store commission, an optional 5% Apple payment processing fee, a 15% store‑services commission for web links, and a 5% Core Technology Commission for apps distributed outside the App Store.
- Apple is applying baseline Notarization to all apps, authorizing marketplaces, and imposing child‑safety limits including parental gates for under‑18s, no purchase links in Kids apps, and no web purchase links for users under 13.
- Google’s Japan changes add browser and search choice screens, expand alternative in‑app billing, and allow purchases to be completed on developers’ websites alongside Google Play Billing.
- Japan’s framework lets Apple approve marketplaces and reject risky interoperability requests, while Epic Games criticizes the fees and warning screens and says it will file a complaint with the JFTC.