EU rules let qualifying browser developers use an engine other than Apple’s WebKit on iPhone, but they do not automatically change how every browser app works. A developer must qualify, obtain Apple’s relevant entitlement and release an app version that actually uses an alternative engine. For most users, the clearest visible change is Apple’s browser choice screen for setting a default.
What the EU rules change—and what they do not
Apple says browser apps and apps with qualifying in-app browsing experiences can use alternative engines in the EU. Its March 2026 Digital Markets Act (DMA) compliance summary says the changes apply to iOS and iPadOS in the EU as of 16 September 2024. Apple’s developer guidance currently lists availability for EU users on iOS 17.4 or later and iPadOS 18 or later.
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This is permission subject to eligibility and technical conditions, not an automatic replacement of WebKit across iOS. A browser’s name or presence on an iPhone does not establish which engine its iOS app uses. Developers must request and receive the applicable Apple entitlement, and then ship a version that uses the alternative engine.
Dedicated browsers and in-app browsing
Apple distinguishes two cases. A dedicated browser app seeking to use another engine needs the Web Browser Engine Entitlement. An app that provides in-app browsing needs the Embedded Browser Engine Entitlement. For a dedicated browser, Apple says the app must be distributed solely on iOS and/or iPadOS in the EU, hold the default-browser entitlement, meet functional test thresholds, and satisfy security and privacy requirements.
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What iPhone users may see
The most direct user-facing change is the option to choose a default browser. Apple says the choice screen appears the first time an EU user opens Safari on an iPhone or iPad that meets the relevant operating-system minimum. Its October 2024 guidance says that on iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, people who still had Safari as their default saw the screen after installing the update; those who had already chosen another default did not. Users can select a browser on the screen, and the selected app may be downloaded and opened there.
The screen is not a directory of every browser
Apple’s choice-screen rules require an eligible app to have the default-browser entitlement and web browsing as its primary purpose. For inclusion, Apple lists prior-year thresholds of 5,000 iPhone users or 4,000 iPad users across EU storefronts. Apple selects up to 11 qualifying browsers in addition to Safari, refreshes eligible lists once per calendar year, and randomizes their order on each user’s device. The country lists on Apple’s reviewed page are labeled current as of November 2025, so they should not be treated as a live October 2026 catalog. See Apple’s browser choice-screen guidance for its eligibility and display details.
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Seeing an app on the screen does not tell you whether that particular app version uses a non-WebKit engine. Apple says developers may choose to list an alternative-engine version, but the country lists identify apps and publishers rather than engine versions. Check the developer’s current documentation for the specific app, version, and region; the published lists alone do not establish that information.
What alternative-engine developers must meet
Apple’s published requirements define qualification thresholds and safeguards. The test percentages below are Apple’s eligibility criteria, not evidence that any particular browser has passed them or a measure of real-world speed or quality.
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Functional testing
- Web Platform Tests: at least 90% of tests, measured against the highest number of subtests executed by any browser on the WPT front page, on a compatible operating system.
- Test262: at least 80% on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Apple silicon.
- JIT unavailable: the engine must meet the thresholds even when just-in-time compilation is unavailable, such as when Lockdown Mode is enabled.
Security and privacy
Apple’s security conditions include secure development practices, a public vulnerability disclosure policy, version-specific published vulnerability information, modern TLS support, dependency monitoring, and timely vulnerability response. Apple says the simplest classes of actively exploited vulnerabilities should be mitigated promptly, giving 30 days as an example; its guidance says most vulnerabilities should be resolved within 30 days while allowing that some cases may take longer.
Privacy conditions include blocking third-party cookies by default unless the user gives informed consent, subject to a narrow compatibility exception; partitioning cross-site-observable storage by top-level website or blocking it; not sharing device identifiers with websites without informed consent and user activation; and labeling network connections for App Privacy Report.
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Additional update timing for embedded engines
For an app using an embedded alternative engine, Apple requires the developer to submit an update with a newly available engine version within 15 calendar days.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the European Commission’s action means
On 23 April 2025, the European Commission said it had closed its investigation into Apple’s user-choice obligations, including the browser choice screen. The Commission said Apple had changed the screen after dialogue to streamline choosing and setting a default browser on iPhone. That closure concerns user choice; it is not approval of every Apple DMA arrangement. The same Commission announcement raised separate preliminary concerns about Apple’s terms for alternative app distribution, which is a distinct issue. Apple’s 7 March 2026 DMA compliance summary describes alternative-engine entitlements among its compliance measures.
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How to assess a browser option
If engine choice matters to you, compare the exact app and version rather than assuming that a familiar browser brand uses the same engine across platforms. The available official lists do not establish current alternative-engine support app by app, country by country. Useful checks include:
- Whether the specific app version supports an alternative engine in your region.
- Whether it is available and eligible as a default browser in your country.
- Its privacy controls and data handling.
- Its security update practices.
- Compatibility with the sites and workflows you rely on.
The rules create a route for eligible developers to offer iPhone users another browser engine; they do not, by themselves, prove that a particular app has taken that route or that it will browse faster, more privately, or more compatibly.
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