Tim Hardwick
Several third-party browser companies have seen iPhone installs surge after Apple made major changes to iOS to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act, but many are unhappy with Apple's implementation of the law. default browser selection screen.
In iOS 17.4, released last month, Apple has more does not restrict EU users can check out several browser options that iOS currently offers as an alternative in other parts of the world. Instead, EU users who open Safari for the first time are presented with a selection screen that allows them to choose a new default browser from a list of popular alternatives in their country.
The change has led to a sharp increase in the use of third-party browsers, according to several reports. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the number of users of the privacy-focused Aloha browser grew 250% in March. The increase in the number of users mainly occurred in France, Belgium (3-fold increase), Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden (2.5-fold increase), as well as in Denmark, Italy and Poland (2-fold increase).
Aloha Browser bills itself as a privacy-focused browser alternative that makes money through paid subscriptions rather than by selling ads by tracking users. The Cyprus-based company says it has 10 million monthly users.
“The EU used to be our number four market, now it's number two,” Aloha CEO Andrew Frost Moroz told Reuters.
The Norwegian browser Vivaldi, the German Ecosia and the American Brave have noted an increase in the number of users after the adoption of new rules. US company DuckDuckGo, which has about 100 million users, and its more popular competitor, Norway's Opera, also reported significant growth.
To be eligible for consideration on the list of alternative browsers, companies must have default browser permissions , available to developers. Apple also requires that the app be downloaded to at least 5,000 iPhone users in all 27 EU countries in the previous calendar year. Apple selects up to 11 of them for the browser selection screen in addition to Safari, updating the list once per calendar year.
Google has also updated its Pixel software to display alternative browser options, and says new Android devices made by other companies will also display a selection screen in the coming months.
Even though users are all are more likely to choose alternatives, browser companies have criticized Apple and Google for being slow to implement changes and believe this is hindering the transition from Safari and Chrome. Mozilla, which owns Firefox, estimates that only about a fifth of iPhone users in the EU have received the iOS update and say the rollout is much slower than previous Apple software updates.
Some alternative browser makers are also concerned that the design of the selection screens is suboptimal at best. . For example, Vivaldi CEO John Stevenson von Tetzchner notes that the Apple selection screen only appears when iPhone users open Safari, but the list of browsers does not provide any additional information.
“The process is so confusing that (users) are easiest to choose Safari or perhaps some other well-known name,” he told Reuters.
Vivaldi is also unhappy with the design. . “The browser list does not display additional information and does not help users make meaningful choices,” a company spokesperson told TechCrunch. “If the user has already selected the browser of their choice, the selection screen may actively try to push them away from it and not even include it in the list it presents to the user.”
Ecosia also criticizes and argues that Apple's implementation assumes “overly complex setup process” and keeps Safari front and center on iPhone Home screen.
The European Commission is currently investigating Apple's chosen screen design for possible inconsistency. The investigation follows consultations with browser companies, which will likely prompt regulators to push for stricter implementation to level the playing field.
Tag: European Union[ 258 comments ]
