Apple and Google Commit to App Store Process Changes Under UK Competition Rules

Apple and Google have agreed to a set of changes to how their app stores operate in the UK, following pressure from the country’s competition watchdog as it begins enforcing its new digital markets regime. The commitments are aimed at improving transparency and fairness for developers that rely on the App Store and Google Play to distribute their products, according to Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The developments were first reported by Reuters.

The CMA designated Apple and Google as having “strategic market status” in mobile platforms in October, a classification that gives the regulator broader powers to intervene where it sees risks to competition. Since then, the authority has been in discussions with both companies to address long-standing complaints from developers about opaque app review processes, rankings, and access to key operating system features.

Under the agreed commitments, Apple and Google will make changes to ensure app reviews and rankings are carried out in a fair, objective and transparent manner, and that apps competing with the companies’ own services are not treated less favourably. The companies have also committed to improving how they handle and protect data collected from developers during the app review process.

A key element of the package focuses on Apple’s iOS ecosystem. Developers will be able to request broader access to certain operating system features in order to build competing products, including in areas such as digital wallets and live translation. Apple has agreed to consider these interoperability requests on a clearer and more structured basis, giving developers greater certainty about how decisions are made.

While the commitments mark the first concrete outcomes under the UK’s new digital competition framework, they stop short of addressing one of developers’ most contentious issues: commissions. The CMA has previously flagged Apple and Google’s commission rates — which can reach up to 30% on app purchases and subscriptions — as a major concern. On Tuesday, the regulator said it remains focused on enabling alternative payment options but noted that any changes would need to take account of regulatory developments in other jurisdictions. Discussions with both companies on this issue are ongoing.

The CMA said it chose to secure voluntary commitments rather than immediately impose formal conduct requirements, arguing that this approach allows for quicker changes while maintaining the option of tougher enforcement if the companies fail to comply. The authority plans to closely monitor implementation and publish reports on metrics such as app approval times, rejection rates, complaints, and the handling of interoperability requests.

The regulator is now seeking feedback on the proposed commitments, with a consultation period running until early March. Subject to the outcome, the measures are expected to take effect from April. The CMA has indicated that further interventions may follow as it continues to examine how Apple and Google’s mobile platforms affect competition, innovation and consumer choice in the UK’s app economy.

These initial steps signal the beginning of more active oversight of dominant mobile ecosystems in Britain, as regulators test how far new digital competition rules can reshape the relationship between platform owners and the businesses that depend on them.