Apple may soon allow you to customize your phone more than ever, by letting you set your own default apps.
That's according to a new report from Bloomberg, which suggests the company is in the process of deciding whether it should allow users to easily use third-party alternatives instead of Apple's own services.
Currently, 38 apps come pre-installed on an iPhone, from Maps to Mail to Messages. It doesn’t matter if you prefer to use a different app, Apple's own services are currently the default.
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For example, if you click on a link in an app it will always open in Safari by default. You can open links in alternatives like Google Chrome, but it's not as easy as a simple press.
As well as giving users more flexibility, this change might negate future EU antitrust restrictions. In October 2019, Siri’s embargo on non-default music apps was challenged when Spotify filed a complaint with the European Commission - now you can ask Siri to play you music from the app of your choice.
It’s thought that this is a similar situation, and by giving options to customers now, Apple might be able to avoid any potential restrictions down the line.
So why not?
From Apple’s perspective, it’s pretty easy to see why some in the company are hesitant to move forward with this idea.
Quite simply, it’s more profitable to keep customers using Apple's own apps rather than competitors’. Apple Music has 60 million users, and it’s only going up. If Apple makes it easy to use Spotify instead, its service could take a massive hit.
We have no idea what Apple is going to choose to do moving forward as this is all a rumor from one source so far. WWDC - Apple's big software event - is likely to take place in June this year and that may be where we hear Apple's verdict.
Via Engadget
