Apple released iOS 18.2 beta for developers. This is one of the most important releases in the history of the iPhone, as it introduced an innovation imposed by the European Union: the obligation to remove native applications from the system that could not be removed before.
This change has reached the point where iOS now allows you to do something you can’t do on Android without root: delete apps like the App Store, camera or gallery app.
Apple has had to issue occasional notifications to warn users of what they’re doing. At Xataka, we were able to test this beta on iPhone 18.2 and this is what we found.
A version marking the before and after
iOS 18.2 is a release that marks a new phase for Apple. It is a step in which mandatory EU directives are changing aspects of the system that seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
Starting with this version, system apps can be completely uninstalled. The most controversial may be Apple’s app store, the App Store. This innovation follows the introduction of third-party stores that have been available on iOS for several months.
iOS 18.2 allows something Android didn’t even think of: removing native apps from the system
The first thing Apple will tell us when we try to delete the App Store is that this cannot be done unless we download at least one alternative app store. They also warn us that installed applications will stop updating. Of course, you are wondering what will happen if we want to reset the App Store. Apple has thought about this situation and it is possible to reinstall it from the configuration settings.
A similar situation occurs with the Camera or Photos apps, which can be deleted without any warning. If we regret it, we can reinstall it from the App Store.
Beyond these new features, with iOS 18.2 you can choose default apps for email, messaging, calls, and even caller ID. It’s an open door for third-party apps to work practically like native apps.
In markets outside the EU, this update finally enables the integration of ChatGPT into the system; This is something we won’t be able to take advantage of until Apple Intelligence starts working in our region.
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