Australian court orders Apple to allow alternative iPhone app stores after Epic case
The order sets a March 2027 deadline for alternative app distribution in Australia. Epic says Fortnite will return to the Australian App Store on October 22, while Apple plans to seek a stay and appeal.
Apple must allow Australian iPhone users to install apps from competing stores and websites from March 1, 2027, under an order issued by a federal judge on October 21 in Epic Games’ competition case. The decision could change how Australian users get apps and how developers take payments; Apple says it will seek a stay and appeal.
What the Australian App Store order requires
According to 9to5Mac’s account of the 235-page decision, the order applies to iPhone users with Australian Apple Accounts. Apple can ask by February 15 for an extension to May 3, 2027, but the court would have to approve it. The ruling follows an earlier finding that Apple breached Australian competition law by restricting alternative app distribution and payment methods.
The changes also cover payments. Developers must be allowed to use alternatives to Apple’s payment system, including in apps offered through the App Store, and to direct users to outside payment options. 9to5Mac reports that the orders restrict certain fees and barriers to alternative distribution and external payments, and require Apple to make the necessary developer tools available on substantially the same terms as its App Store tools.
Justice Jonathan Beach found that Apple held substantial power in the markets for iOS app distribution and in-app payment solutions, 9to5Mac reported. His orders do not extend worldwide, as Epic had requested. Apple may continue security scanning and notarization for apps distributed outside its store, and it does not have to offer competing marketplaces through the App Store itself.
Fortnite return and Apple’s appeal
The court separately ordered Apple to readmit eligible Epic Games apps to the Australian App Store after a written application from Epic, subject to applicable developer rules, according to 9to5Mac. That provision takes effect immediately rather than under the March 2027 timetable. Epic said Fortnite would return to the Australian App Store on Thursday, October 22, Reuters reported; the announcement did not establish that the game was already available.
Apple disagrees with many of the court’s findings, Reuters reported. An Apple spokesperson told Reuters the company would request a stay and appeal to seek a resolution that respects its intellectual property and protects the App Store experience for users and developers. Whether a court grants a stay will affect the timetable for carrying out the orders.
The court also ordered Apple to pay 85% of Epic’s legal costs from the original trial, according to 9to5Mac. It reserved a decision on costs from the later hearings about remedies. Those proceedings followed the earlier competition finding and addressed what Apple must change in response.
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Sources and context
- Apple must open iPhone to alternative app stores in Australia after Epic Games ruling9to5Mac
- Epic's 'Fortnite' back on Apple App Store in Australia after antitrust rulingReuters, republished by Channel News Asia
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.