Apple, Google agree to make 'app store' changes over UK regulator concerns

Apple and Google have agreed to make new changes to their mobile app stores.

Britain's antitrust regulator said on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, that both companies, Apple and Google, informed them that they will change their mobile app stores to be fairer and more transparent for thousands of developers, hailing it as important first steps in its tougher regime.

Nearly all smartphones in Britain run either Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems, and their app stores and browsers have exclusive or dominant positions on their platforms.

Under the new commitments, the companies will review apps in a fair, objective, and transparent way, the CMA said.

Why it matters?

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) designated the two tech giants as having "strategic market status" in smartphones in October 2025, giving it the power to demand specific changes to boost competition.

Developers will also be able to request access to more of Apple's features in iOS to create competing products, for example, related to digital wallets or live translation.

Moreover, the regulator has previously said this dominance enables the two companies to exert considerable influence over content, services, and technological developments.

Apple said it faced "fierce competition in every market where we operate, and we work tirelessly to create the best products, services, and user experience."

"The commitments announced today allow Apple to continue advancing important privacy and security innovations for users and great opportunities for developers," it said.

While Google said that while it believed its existing developer practices were fair, objective, and transparent, it welcomed the opportunity to resolve the CMA’s concerns collaboratively.