Apple in talks for allowing Users to change Default Browser & E-mail apps on iOS devices: Report

Cupertino tech-giant Apple is reportedly in discussions of allowing its iOS users on being able to change the company’s default apps like – Safari browser and the Mail app, according to Bloomberg. The report further suggests, citing the sources as people intimate with the matter, Apple is in consideration of enabling third-party/rival apps, which could mean that there’s a possibility that you could set Google Chrome/ Firebox browser instead of Safari as the default browser on your iOS-enabled device including iPads and iPhones, in the future. This is also similar to what Apple is considering third-party music services to be able to play on the company’s HomePod, instead of Apple Music service only.

The report moreover indicates Apple hadn’t allowed third-party services to replace pre-installed default apps on iOS since the launch of App Store in 2008. Also, this had apparently increased concerns of antitrust in the industry. The matter of fact is that there are several third-party browsers and email apps for iOS devices, but they cannot be set to default in the aforementioned devices, as of now. The ongoing discussions might change this in future, after which you can no longer rely on Safari or the default Mail app on your iOS device. Well, this could suggest that Apple would allow you to delete these apps from your iOS phone like what it does with the Calculator, Apple Maps or Apple Watch!?, well, that is not understood yet.

Besides, Apple still allows some apps to choose as the default browser, or default maps, for that matter, but that has been restricted to the links opened within that specific app. With the acceptance of third-party services to be set as default, it could indicate that any link shared to you either on text or any messaging services and clicking it would take you to Google Chrome/Firefox or any other browser you choose, instead of taking you to Safari browser, by default. The same applies to email as well, despite several email apps that you can install from the App Store, you could now, only able to send an email with the default Mail app within the ecosystem. This will also change, and, instead, you can select Gmail app, to send the email, for example, only if the ongoing discussions fall into place.

The report has further quoted that being a default app on the world’s best selling smartphone certainly adds a value, which is now occupied by Apple’s pre-installed apps. Besides, there are 38 default apps, which are pre-installed on iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads, which include Safari, Maps, Mail and Messages, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, as stated earlier, if these discussions are approved then these enabling of new third-party services could possibly enabled via an OTA update or could be scheduled with next iOS update release.

In other news, Apple has recently released developer and public betas of iOS 13.4 and as of now, the latest release on iOS is the iOS 13.3.1 version, which runs on iPhones including the latest iPhone 11 series.

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