Apple is launching iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 today to adhere to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will soon be enforced. This update introduces support for third-party app stores and other required changes under the DMA, but remember that these changes are only applicable in the EU.
Non-Safari browsers now have the freedom to choose their rendering engines, no longer mandated to use Apple’s WebKit. After installing this update, Safari users will encounter a browser selection screen upon initial launch.
EU iPhone users can now utilize NFC with alternative wallet and banking apps, providing an alternative to exclusively using Apple Pay.
Aside from EU-specific changes, this update includes automatic podcast transcriptions (in English, Spanish, French, and German), new emojis (mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, shaking heads), and patches for two security vulnerabilities that were reportedly exploited. It is advisable to update to this version as soon as possible for these reasons.
