Main points
- The iOS 17.4 update allows the use of third-party app stores on EU iPhones, with AltStore being one of the first to launch.
- AltStore installation is not as easy as a regular app, but future downloads will be very simple.
- AltStore offers unique applications such as Delta Game Emulator, Clip Clipboard Manager, all verified by Apple.
With the release of iOS 17.4, Apple has finally opened up the iPhone to third-party app stores, at least in the EU. This means users can download apps from sources other than the Apple App Store. Companies like Epic Games and MacPaw (Setapp) are preparing to bring their own app stores to the iPhone, and now AltStore has launched a version for the iPhone in Europe.
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The store was developed by Riley Testut of AltStore, the company that already offers the same third-party app platform for macOS and Windows. AltStore for iPhone may be downloaded from Testut’s AltStore website, but the app is currently awaiting approval from Apple. Once approved, it could become one of the first third-party app stores available in the EU after the iOS 17.4 update.
However, installing AltStore on iPhone is not as simple as installing an app.according to Callum’s booth at The Verge, you first visit the company’s website and then click on the website to load the alternative store. The iPhone will then pop up a window informing you that your device’s installation settings currently do not allow this developer’s market. You then go to settings, enable the market, return to the browser and click the AltStore download link again to complete the installation. You can then open AltStore and browse the available applications.
Thankfully, the process of installing apps through AltStore will be very simple. It works similarly to how the App Store works: Just go to the app information page and click “Install” and the app will download. AltStore also allows you to add “sources” of applications, which means you will be able to add more “app stores” in AltStore. Or as Booth describes it, “kind of like Inception: A Shop Within a Shop.”
The ability to add app store sources won’t be available at launch, but Testut says the company plans to roll it out shortly after the initial launch. Currently, AltStore offers a number of its own apps not available on Apple’s App Store, such as Delta, a game emulator that lets you play past Nintendo and SEGA console games. Another noteworthy application is Clip, which acts as a clipboard manager.
It remains to be seen how actively Europeans adopt third-party app stores, but it’s worth noting that the apps available on these platforms are still verified by Apple. This means that third-party applications will still undergo baseline security checks to detect and prevent malware, viruses, and other threats. AltStore’s clips must be adjusted before entering third-party app stores, so there is no risk in third-party app stores themselves. However, they do not offer the same level of security as Apple’s App Store.
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