Apple gives ‘temporary’ approval of Epic Games Store, but fight may not be over

Certain features of the Epic Games Store such as the “install” button and “in-app purchase” options had led to the app being rejected twice by Apple because they were too similar to its own App Store, according to a report by TechCrunch.

Pushing back, Epic Games posted on X that it was “using the same “Install” and “In-app purchases” naming conventions that are used across popular app stores on multiple platforms, and are following standard conventions for buttons in iOS apps.”

“Apple’s rejection is arbitrary, obstructive, and in violation of the DMA (Digital Markets Act), and we’ve shared our concerns with the European Commission,” it added on Friday, July 5. On the same day, Apple unexpectedly cleared the Epic Games Store for installation on iPhones and iPads in Europe.

What is the tussle all about?

Apple’s near-complete control of the iOS app ecosystem has been heavily criticised for many years by antitrust regulators and app developers such as Epic Games whose Fornite app was booted from the App Store after the developer had openly challenged the tech giant’s 30 per cent cut for all in-app purchases. As a result, Epic Games sued Apple in 2020 while Apple, in its countersuit, accused Epic of breaching its contract.

While the judge mostly ruled in favour of Apple, the court ruling also directed the tech giant to allow developers to link to outside payment methods and thereby bypass Apple’s 30 per cent in-app fee.

Earlier this year, Apple was forced to take several steps back after the Digital Markets Act went into effect. The tech giant announced that it is modifying its App Store policies to allow third-party app stores and alternative payment mechanisms for in-app purchases. However, Spotify and Epic Games sharply criticised the revised policies as they further levied a “core technology fee” on developers.

In June 2024, the European Commission said that it is looking into Apple’s new contractual terms for developers, including the core technology fee. It also held that Apple had violated the DMA by preventing developers from steering customers towards alternative offers. Additionally, Apple was also hit with a $1.8 billion fine by EU regulators in a different antitrust case involving music streaming services like Spotify.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice along with 17 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Apple in March that accuses the tech giant of monopolising the smartphone market.