Today Apple is releasing iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, in order to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is imminently going into effect. This is the version that brings support for third party app stores, and many more changes that are mandated by the DMA – but keep in mind that all of the DMA-related stuff will only be available in the EU.
Any browser that isn’t Apple’s Safari can now use whatever rendering engine its developers want, they’re not forced to go with Apple’s WebKit anymore. Additionally, when you first enter Safari after installing this update, you’ll be presented with a browser choice screen.
Another win for EU iPhone users: NFC will work with alternative wallet and banking apps, you aren’t stuck with Apple Pay exclusively anymore.
That’s all the EU-specific stuff. This update also brings automatic podcast transcriptions (in English, Spanish, French, and German), new emoji (mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, shaking heads), and fixes for two reportedly exploited security issues. If for no other reason than these, you should update as soon as possible.
