Apple’s new installation flow for third-party app markets on iOS is working just fine, according to Epic Games.
Once Apple simplified the installation process in iOS 18.6, according to Epic, those numbers dropped for users leaving the installation from around 65 percent to around 25 percent — a decline of about 60 percent in drop-offs and more aligned with what Epic sees on Windows and macOS.
Why This Install Flow Matters Under the DMA
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act would make Apple give the bloc a shot at alternative app distribution. Early versions required users to click through a number of warning screens — so-called scare prompts — that highlighted the risks of installing apps outside the App Store. Developers said the friction held back adoption of rival marketplaces and stymied consumer choice at a time when new paths to distribution were opening up.
Regulators have already shown themselves to be willing to punish those who don’t comply. Add to that a couple of (alleged) DMA-violation fines from the European Commission — jacking up the stakes in how platform giants engineer consent and disclosure flows. In this situation, Apple’s changes are not merely UX tweaks; they are command-and-control levers with quantifiable market effects.
What’s New in iOS 18.6 for Alternative App Markets
In iOS 18.6, the company collapsed the marketplace installation into a streamlined path focused on one, more direct disclosure. The screen features trade-offs — like not being able to participate in App Store-managed subscriptions — and makes it clear that users belong to the marketplace developer’s account. It clears away multi-step warnings that previously deterred people from leaving.
Behaviorally, it decreases the cues for loss aversion and decision fatigue. The fewer steps and messages loaded with fear, the larger completion rates — if it is a story you are familiar with in conversion research (across e-commerce onboarding or software consent flows).
Conversion Gains (With Caveats) for Developers
Epic’s numbers indicate a dramatic difference: an abandonment rate cut from something like two out of three triers to barely more than one in four. Tying into industry heuristics which demonstrate that consolidating multi-screen consent flows down to a single-voiced disclosure can recover double-digit percentage points of completeness.
Still, Epic and Apple have not seen eye to eye on the business model. The company cites Apple’s core technology fee within the EU, notarization requirements and approval criteria as barriers to genuine competition. Groups of developers and digital rights advocates have shared those concerns with the European Commission, arguing that structural fees and gatekeeping techniques could subdue the effect of any UX improvements.
Security Friction and the Mac Comparison
Apple argues that the security posture of iOS requires a more stringent approach compared to macOS. In previous rounds of this debate, high-ranking Apple executives have made the case that loosening iOS to look and feel more like an open Mac would facilitate widespread malware infection. The iOS 18.6 modifications tell a story of balance: that between preserving qualified signals for platform safety without compromising user choice and transparency with respect to DMA.
Epic counters that notarization plus clear disclosures would manage risk without deceleration by punishment. The new findings add weight to the argument that less warning does not always mean reckless disclosure — at least as long as vetting and revocation mechanisms continue behind the scenes.
Android’s Parallel Battle and the Regulatory Backdrop
Epic is also making its case on Android, calling out Google for lengthy prompts and scare tactics concerning “unknown sources.” A U.S. judge has mandated remedies that would force Google to work more easily with third-party app stores, and motions have kept pressure on the Android distribution model.
Both lawsuits underscore a larger trend in regulation: disclosure and choice are inadequate if the road is paved to discourage users. Everyone from antitrust agencies at the European Commission to U.S. courts is now looking not only at whether alternatives exist, but whether users can find and get to them without too much friction or fear.
What to Watch Next as DMA Rules Shape App Markets
Epic’s conversion lift offers developers and regulators a benchmark for what “effective” alternative distribution can mean on iOS. The bigger question is longevity. Will more marketplaces launch under current fees and policies, and will users stay with them past the first install?
For Apple, the results will help inform continued discussions around DMA compliance and potential modifications to disclosures, notarization, and billing choices. For developers, the way ahead is a question of whether lower friction justifies residual costs, and whether comparable improvement can be achieved on Android as legal actions bite. If the 60 percent drop-off decrease holds up as CPM goes down more widely, competitive dynamics for mobile software distribution in the EU could be changing.
