Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
28 ARTICLES
·
2mo 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.

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

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.