The Epic Games Store Sees Increase in Downloads Following Apple’s Changes
Since the EU’s Digital Markets Act prompted Apple to streamline its process for installing third-party app marketplaces, the Epic Games Store has experienced a surge in downloads. According to a recent blog post by Epic, the drop-off rate for Epic Games Store installations on iOS has decreased from 65 percent to around 25 percent following the release of iOS 18.6 in July.
The update in user experience for installing alternative app marketplaces was introduced in iOS 18.6 after the EU commission expressed concerns in April about the difficulty users faced when installing apps from alternative channels. Epic praised the changes, stating that Apple reduced the install flow from 15 steps to 6, removed the scare screen and misleading messages, and eliminated dead-ends that left users stranded in iOS Settings.
Despite these improvements, Epic believes that Apple’s anticompetitive behavior towards third-party app stores still violates the DMA. The company also criticized Google’s 12-step installation process on Android, claiming that it sabotages Epic Games Store install attempts more than 50 percent of the time.
While there have been positive changes for iOS users, Epic continues to advocate for further improvements and fair treatment of third-party app marketplaces on both iOS and Android platforms.
