After the company changed the installation process under pressure from the European Union, the rejection rate among iOS users dropped sharply: from 65% to 25%. Epic believes this is proof that Apple deliberately complicated the steps to protect the App Store monopoly.
Key changes came into effect in July with the iOS 18.6 update. The number of steps to install a third-party store has been reduced from 15 to 6, and the so-called "fear screen" has disappeared — warnings that discouraged users from downloading programs outside the App Store.
Apple's reaction came after the European Commission expressed concern back in April that the company was making alternative app distribution too confusing and burdensome, violating the DMA law. Previously, Apple had already been fined 500 million euros for non-compliance with these rules.
Epic notes that even after easing the rules, Apple continues to violate EU regulations: this concerns "junk" commissions and discrimination against developers who support competing stores.