The wait is over, Apple pushed the deadlines almost to the limit, but only a few hours ago iOS 17.4 is now available for installation on all compatible iPhones with this generation of the operating system (you can view the list of all models in this publication). We already knew from the end of January that we would have to wait until the current month and that the limit was set by the date of entry into force of the European Union’s six gatekeeper measures, which were published in September.

As we’ve told you since then, Apple has confirmed the arrival of all the DMA customization changes in iOS 17.4, though an extensive list of terms and conditions set by the company allowing developers and service providers to create their own stores and use other payment methods has provoked an angry reaction from them, which the European Commission may have already taken note of if necessary. open a new investigation.

During these last weeks, for obvious reasons, the main topic of conversation in this regard has been the topic mentioned in the previous paragraph, new app stores and alternative payment methods, but the truth is that The list of new features that iOS 17.4 brings to European Union citizens is much longer. Now, although interested users can update their operating system now, the truth is that many of the effects of these new features will take some time to notice.

But let’s start with what I hinted at earlier, i.e. the review on list of what’s new in iOS 17.4 for users in the European Union:

• App stores and alternative payment methods: with the release of this new version of the operating system, developers who meet the conditions set by Apple will now be able to implement alternative payment methods in their applications, as well as transfer their own stores to the operating system, which of course in Developers of other applications can decide.
• Default browser: After updating to iOS 17.4, when you open Safari for the first time, a selector will appear where you can choose which browser you want to use by default on the system. The option will take you to the specified browser’s page in the App Store from where you can download/update it. You can change this setting later in the settings.
• Browser Engines– Until now, all browsers on iOS had to rely on WebKit, Apple’s tool for Safari. However, with this update, this limitation will disappear, so browser developers will be able to choose the engine they prefer. So we can expect an imminent landing of Chromium on iOS.
• NFC for everyone: In terms of payment methods, the NFC chip in the iPhone could only be used with Apple Pay. However, from now on, other financial institutions will be able to “skip” this restriction and therefore have direct access to this type of connection from their applications.
• Webapps remain: the news that isn’t really, and that is that, as we told you yesterday, Apple has finally kept WPA support in the operating system after announcing that it will cancel it in the European Union.
• Streaming game apps: at the time, and for reasons that are somewhat hard to understand, Apple blocked apps for streaming game services from the App Store, forcing the companies that offer these services to provide access to them through the browser. Fortunately, that too is becoming a thing of the past, so GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud, among others, will now be able to upload their apps to the iOS app store.

Can I try new iOS 17.4 features in the European Union now?

The truth is, for the most part, not yet, but it’s not something Apple can be held responsible for.. The only thing from the previous list that you can test now is what we told you about the choice of the default browser, which is something that depends exclusively on those from Cupertino and is therefore already present and you can test it in iOS 17.4 , as well as keeping of WPA support, which is actually a change that isn’t a change.

As for the rest of the news, These depend on the developers, which in many cases are already working on it, but it may still take some time to complete their adaptation to take advantage of this development. A few weeks ago, Epic Games announced their plans to have their own store on iOS sometime in 2024, and recently MacPaw announced Setapp Mobile for iOS, which will have its first beta in April. And we can expect the same from many other technologies.

So, There are currently no new stores.there are no browsers based on other engines, GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud still don’t have apps published in the App Store, at first glance I didn’t find apps that already offer the option to pay using third-party platforms, etc. So it will be weeks away, in some cases even months, when the effects of DMA in iOS 17.4 and its successors will manifest themselves in maximum brilliance.

Release notes