With the arrival of iOS 17.4 in the European Union, there's also the possibility to install applications from sources external to the App Store. Remember that apps from alternative stores do not undergo the manual review and content filtering that Apple carries out on the App Store. Therefore, the company has warned that such applications can include anything from hate speech to explicitly violent or pornographic content, not meeting the quality, privacy, and security standards that characterize the applications available on the App Store. That's precisely why we might want to block alternative app stores within Europe. Let's see how to do it.
A simple setting and the third-party app marketplaces disappear
Especially considering the protection of minors, Apple offers us tools within the Parental Control system to block the installation of alternative stores. An option that is found in the Screen Time settings on iPhones operating under iOS 17.4, allowing parents or guardians to set controls over the sources from which applications can be installed. The steps to apply these settings are as follows:
- We open the Settings app on our iPhone.
- We go into Screen Time.
- We go into Restrictions.
- If not already activated, we turn on Restrictions at the top.
- We go into App Installation and Purchases.
- We tap on App Download Platforms.
- We choose Do Not Allow.
The system is also valid for both applying the block to our iPhone, and for applying it to the iPhones of the younger members of the house through the Screen Time's Family Sharing options.
Additionally, we can set an age limit for installed applications. This limit applies to both apps from the App Store and those from other alternative stores, although there always remains the question of how other entities may label the content of the apps. In any case, by going into Content Restrictions after step four, we can tap on Apps to choose the age that interests us.
These tools, of course, are not only aimed at personal and family environments but also extend to the business realm. Organizations can thus manage the distribution of applications on their employees' devices in a safe and controlled manner, avoiding the installation of third-party app stores that could represent any risk to the data or security of the device. Clearly, these measures are welcomed to continue guaranteeing the experience that Apple has accustomed us to with the App Store.
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