Apple’s app sideloading policy is being updated to clarify the length of the grace period

In case you missed it, sideloading Apple apps is now a thing thanks to the EU’s Digital Markets Act. With the release of iOS 17.4 and iPad OS 17.4, users in the EU can now download and install apps from app stores other than Apple’s own. However, as the manufacturer made very clear during the official announcement, this is only applicable to the EU.

This has left many of us wondering, what if users initially stay in the EU and then move to another region after gaining the privilege to sideload apps? We already know that users will lose the ability to load more apps in such cases. But what about the ability to update already installed apps? Apple made things clear.

The free period for sideloading Apple apps is 30 days

Apple has published a support page for sideloading apps in the EU. This support page is for users who can download and install apps from alternative app markets. However, as mentioned earlier, this option is only available for EU users.

If they happen to go outside the EU after sideloading apps to their Apple device, they will have a grace period. After that, those users who enjoyed sideloading the app will lose access to some features. This includes updating sideloaded apps from third-party app stores.

Apple specified that the free period is 30 days. This means that if you go outside the EU after sideloading the app, you can only update the app within 30 days. After that, you can no longer update the sideloaded app from the third-party store. But the good news is that the apps will continue to work even when you’re outside the eligible region. You can learn more from support page found at this link. And to learn more about the Digital Markets Act and how it led to Apple making this decision, read our in-depth coverage at this link.