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3w ago

Japan’s Guidelines Compel Apple to Allow Non-WebKit Browsers on iOS by December

Japan’s Competition Act prohibits Apple from blocking non-WebKit engines; guarantees functionally equivalent OS API access; mandates a browser choice screen after initial setup.

Safari is getting some big improvements in iOS 18.
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Overview

  • Japan’s Mobile Software Competition Act guidelines, released in early August, set a December 2025 deadline for Apple to lift its WebKit-only requirement on iOS browsers.
  • The rules forbid Apple from imposing unreasonable technical or financial obstacles on developers seeking to deploy alternative engines like Blink or Gecko.
  • Under Article 7, Item 2, third-party browsers must be granted access to the same OS APIs and performance levels that Apple reserves for WebKit.
  • Apple is required to display a default browser choice screen promptly after first activating an iPhone or at the initial launch of any browser.
  • Despite similar mandates in the EU and UK, no significant non-WebKit browsers have yet appeared on iOS, underscoring potential enforcement challenges.