U-turn: Cloud gaming and widgets are now allowed at Apple

In parallel with the massive changes to iOS in Europe, Apple announced another opening on Thursday evening: previously banned cloud gaming services will be allowed to be sold in the App Store in the future, the company announced. It will also be possible to offer additional elements in apps via Apple's in-app purchasing interface, including “mini-apps” such as chatbots or plug-ins, Apple announced. This makes it possible, for example, to sell subscriptions to a single chatbot.

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Chatbots in individual subscriptions

Apple notes that this is a response to feedback from the developer community. At the same time, it is also likely that this is a reaction to increasing pressure from regulatory authorities, as a ban on cloud gaming services, which were previously only accessible on the iPhone via the Safari browser, has already been looked at critically. Meanwhile, Apple is also trying to prevent larger providers from jumping into the new options in Europe and offering their services through their own app marketplaces – not least because they have to pay Apple less commission.

The possibility of selling individual chatbots appears to be primarily a reference to OpenAI or ChatGPT and the GPTs app store that only recently opened there. At the same time, the first specialized hardware for AI models is now appearing, which may also cause disruptions at Apple: according to reports, former Apple chief designer Jony Ive has already brainstormed ideas about completely new AI hardware with OpenAI head Sam Altman.

Relax in login services

Apple said that in the future, developers will also receive more analytical data that will provide insight into the app's usage and sales. Apple is also removing another requirement: Apps that provide social logins like Facebook Login or Google Login no longer necessarily need to integrate Apple's Login service. Alternatively, another data protection-friendly service could be integrated for this purpose, according to a company statement.

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