Apple has eased longstanding constraints on iPhone software in Brazil, allowing alternative app marketplaces and new payment methods, amid regulatory pressures aimed at increasing digital competition and safeguarding users.
Apple has moved to loosen long-standing limits on iPhone software in Brazil after reaching a deal with the country’s competition authority, opening the door to alternative app marketplaces and new payment routes for digital goods and services. The change, announced by the company, takes effect through iOS 26.5 and is framed as a response to regulatory pressure from Brazil’s Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica, or CADE. Apple says the new rules are meant to preserve security while giving developers more flexibility.
The company is not giving up control entirely. According to Apple, any alternative marketplace must be authorised, and all iOS apps in Brazil will still pass through a notarisation process that combines automated checks with human review. That screening is narrower than the App Review process used for the App Store, but Apple says it is intended to catch obvious security threats such as known malware or fraudulent behaviour. Reports from MacRumors and TechCrunch said the Brazilian changes mirror earlier shifts Apple has made in other jurisdictions where regulators have forced more openness.
Payments are also changing. Developers with apps on the App Store in Brazil will be able to offer Apple’s in-app purchase system alongside alternative payment processors or links to web-based checkout pages. Apple says users who stay within its own payment system will retain familiar protections, including refund support, subscription management and purchase history inside the App Store. Where developers route customers elsewhere, Apple warns that it will have less ability to help resolve disputes, issue refunds or protect users from scams.
Apple has also tied the policy change to child safety. The company says apps in the Kids category will not be allowed to link out to web payment pages, and under-18 users will need a parental gate before making purchases through alternative processing methods. Apple says it is also building a new application programming interface to let parents monitor and approve some off-platform purchases. Even so, the company acknowledges that the new distribution and payment options create fresh risks, including exposure to unwanted content, fraud and privacy problems.
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