The first batch of third-party apps has landed on PAL’s AltStore, just over three months after the alternative iOS app store launched in the EU. Among the apps released today, three are exclusive to PAL’s AltStore and cannot be found in Apple’s official iOS app store. These include two torrent apps and a social dating app, providing unique options for iOS users.
Featured Apps
The first app, iTorrent, is a torrent client for iOS that can be used without jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad. The second app, qBitControl, serves as a qBittorrent remote client for iOS devices, making it easier to manage torrent downloads on the go. PeopleDrop is a dating-focused “social discovery platform” that connects you with other users in the real world as they pass by. Finally, UTM SE is an app for emulating other operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS on iOS.
Apple’s Stance and EU Impact
UTM SE is the only app in the batch that’s already available on the official iOS App Store, having received approval from Apple earlier this month. UTM SE thanked the AltStore team for helping it get approved after Apple previously rejected the app in June. Apple bans all torrent apps from its own iOS store, claiming they’re “often used to infringe the rights of third parties.” However, now that the EU’s Digital Markets Act has weakened the tech giant’s ability to police its “walled garden,” iOS users across the continent may have a little more freedom — and accept more risk — over the apps they choose to install, notes NIX Solutions.
We’ll keep you updated on any new developments as more apps become available on PAL’s AltStore.