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13h ago

Apple Opens iOS in Japan to Alternative App Stores and Payments Under New Law

New rules add fees, safeguards, approvals that keep Apple’s oversight central.

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Apple Store staff greet customers at the Apple Store in Tokyo's Omotesando shopping district, Japan, September 21, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
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Overview

  • Apple’s iOS 26.2 rollout in Japan enables authorized third‑party app marketplaces and non‑Apple payment options, with changes live immediately for developers and users.
  • All apps from alternative stores must pass Apple’s Notarization security check, and each marketplace requires Apple authorization with no direct web downloads permitted.
  • Apple’s new terms include App Store commissions of 21% or 10% (plus 5% when using Apple IAP), a 15% fee on web‑linked purchases, and a 5% Core Technology Commission for apps distributed outside the App Store.
  • User‑facing updates add browser and search choice screens, default controls for navigation apps and marketplaces, support for non‑WebKit browser engines, and a side‑button API for third‑party voice assistants.
  • Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney condemned the fees and warning screens, said Fortnite will not return to iOS in Japan, and plans to complain to the Japanese Fair Trade Commission; developers must accept updated program terms by March 17, 2026.