Apple Opens iPhone App Downloads Outside App Store in EU

Apple will now allow developers to offer iPhone apps for direct download from their websites to users in the EU. This complies with new EU regulations applied to the App Store.

To enable web distribution, developers must opt into Apple's new EU business terms and meet criteria like app notarization requirements.

There will be a new "core technology fee" charged at €0.50 for each first annual install over 1 million in the past 12 months.

The first time an iOS user downloads an app from a website, they must go through a multi-step authorization process to allow the developer to install apps directly.

It's unclear how much demand there will be for direct web distribution, as the App Store option still exists. Apple has heard some developers want the web distribution option.