Epic Games just dropped a bombshell about Apple's third-party app store resistance. The gaming giant's latest data reveals that iOS installation abandonment rates plummeted from 65% to just 25% after Apple streamlined the process under EU pressure - proving what many suspected all along.
Epic Games just handed regulators smoking-gun evidence that Apple was deliberately sabotaging third-party app store installations. The Fortnite maker's latest blog post reveals that iOS user abandonment rates for the Epic Games Store dropped from a staggering 65% to just 25% after Apple streamlined its installation process in iOS 18.6 this July. That's not just an improvement - it's proof of what critics have been saying for years about Apple's gatekeeping tactics.
The numbers tell a damning story. Before iOS 18.6, nearly two-thirds of users who tried installing Epic's alternative app store would give up mid-process. Now, success rates are approaching what Epic sees on Windows and even Apple's own Mac platform. The transformation happened almost overnight when Apple was forced to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act after Brussels raised concerns in April that the company was making alternative app distribution 'overly burdensome and confusing.'
'They've reduced the install flow from 15 steps to 6, eliminating their former scare screen and its misleading message, and eliminated a dead-end that left the user stranded in iOS Settings,' Epic stated in Wednesday's blog post. The language is deliberate - Epic isn't just celebrating the change, they're building a legal case that Apple's previous process was intentionally designed to discourage competition.
The timing couldn't be more significant. Apple made these changes only after the European Commission opened formal proceedings under the Digital Markets Act, specifically targeting the company's compliance with alternative distribution requirements. The fact that abandonment rates improved so dramatically suggests Apple had the technical capability to make installations easier all along - they just chose not to until regulators forced their hand.
But Epic isn't done. The company is using this data to argue that Apple's current approach still violates the DMA, pointing out that fewer developers are distributing games through their iOS store compared to Android. It's a strategic move that positions Epic as the champion of developer choice while painting Apple as a reluctant participant in true platform openness.
Interestingly, Epic also took shots at Google's Android installation process, claiming the search giant's 12-step procedure 'sabotages Epic Games Store install attempts' more than 50% of the time through what they call a 'deceptive user interface.' This dual-front criticism suggests Epic is preparing for broader regulatory battles beyond just Apple's ecosystem.
