According to 9to5Mac, Apple has announced a sweeping set of changes to the App Store and iPhone operating system specifically for Japan to comply with the country’s new Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA). The changes, detailed in a Newsroom post and on its developer site, include allowing developers to distribute apps through alternative marketplaces and use alternative payment methods. However, Apple will still conduct a “Notarization” review on all apps and requires that if an app offers an alternative payment method, it must also present Apple’s own In-App Purchase system as an option simultaneously. The new features are available starting today as part of iOS 26.2, which also introduces new default controls for navigation apps, app marketplaces, and new browser and search engine choice screens for users in Japan.
Apple’s Guarded Concession
So Apple is complying, but it’s doing so with a tone that’s classic Apple. The company immediately warns that Japan’s law “open[s] new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, and privacy and security risks.” They’re basically saying, “Fine, you’re making us do this, but don’t come crying to us when things go wrong.” The requirement to keep Apple’s own payment system as a co-equal option is a fascinating move. It’s a direct counter to the common developer strategy of offering a cheaper price outside Apple’s system to incentivize users to bypass the 30% commission. Now, in Japan, they’ll have to present both choices side-by-side. I think that’s going to seriously blunt the financial appeal for many developers. Why go through the hassle of setting up an external payment system if you still have to feature Apple’s method and likely won’t see a huge price advantage?
Notarization and New Terms
Here’s the thing: Apple isn’t giving up control. Their “Notarization” process, which they say combines automated checks and human review, is their line in the sand. They’re framing it as a vital security guardrail, and to be fair, it probably is. But it’s also a mechanism for Apple to maintain oversight and potentially reject apps from these new marketplaces for reasons they define. And then there are the new business terms. The article doesn’t detail them, but you can bet they’ll include some kind of fee structure for apps distributed outside the App Store. Apple didn’t build this ecosystem to become a charity. In the EU, they introduced a “Core Technology Fee.” Something similar for Japan seems inevitable. The real question is whether the math will work out for any developer to make the jump worthwhile.
A Dig at the EU
Now, the most pointed part of Apple’s announcement is its comparison to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple explicitly calls Japan’s MSCA “a better piece of legislation” because it allowed them to “preserve some guardrails.” And then they throw a real elbow: “For instance, similar regulatory changes in Europe have enabled types of apps that were previously unavailable on iOS, including pornography apps.” Ouch. That’s Apple leveraging its family-friendly brand to argue that the EU’s approach went too far. It’s a shrewd, almost political, move to praise one regulator while subtly criticizing another. It also sets a precedent—Apple will likely use Japan as an example of “good” regulation in future battles worldwide.
What It Means for Users
For iPhone users in Japan, the practical changes in iOS 26.2 are interesting. New default controls for navigation apps and app marketplaces, plus choice screens for browsers and search engines, mirror what happened in Europe. It gives users more explicit control, which is good. But will it change behavior? Most people just stick with defaults. The ability for voice-based apps to potentially replace Siri as the default tied to the side button is a bigger deal—it opens a tiny crack in Apple’s walled garden for a core system function. But overall, this feels less like a revolutionary opening and more like a carefully managed, Apple-supervised experiment. They’ve complied with the letter of Japan’s MSCA law, but they’ve built a whole new fence inside the newly opened gate.
