iOSSince the earliest days of the iPhone, links and email
addresses have opened in Safari and the default Mail
app, respectively. Even if you delete Mail, it merely asks
you to redownload it when you tap an email address,
without providing an option to use another app like
Gmail or Outlook. Presumably, this would be an iOS
feature available to all devices compatible with iOS
14, and not tied to Apple’s new iPhone. On Android,
Google has long let users pick default apps over
Google’s own services and apps.
Additionally, the report says Apple is mulling
over whether to allow Spotify to stream directly on
its HomePod smart speaker. While users can stream
Spotify songs to their HomePod using AirPlay on the
iPhone, asking the speaker to play something using Siri
will default to Apple Music, with no way to change it.
In recent years, Apple has slowly been loosening its
grip on iOS, allowing things like third-party keyboards
and giving developers more access to Siri, but it’s drawn
a hard line at default apps. That stance has drawn the
ire of users and developers and has led to an antitrust
lawsuit against the company’s App Store practices. A
report in The Wall Street Journal also outlined Apple’s
seemingly weighted search results.
Opening up the iPhone and iPad to default
apps from third-party developers is seemingly an
inevitability, so it’s not a total surprise that Apple would
want to get in front of any litigation or regulation. Still,
opening the iPhone to third-party apps would represent
a massive shift in the company’s policy.iOS
SincetheearliestdaysoftheiPhone,linksandemail
addresseshaveopenedinSafariandthedefaultMail
app,respectively.EvenifyoudeleteMail,itmerelyasks
youtoredownloaditwhenyoutapanemailaddress,
withoutprovidinganoptiontouseanotherapplike
GmailorOutlook.Presumably,thiswouldbeaniOS
featureavailabletoalldevicescompatiblewithiOS
14, andnottiedtoApple’snewiPhone.OnAndroid,
Googlehaslongletuserspickdefaultappsover
Google’sownservicesandapps.
Additionally,thereportsaysAppleismulling
overwhethertoallowSpotifytostreamdirectlyon
itsHomePodsmartspeaker.Whileuserscanstream
SpotifysongstotheirHomePodusingAirPlayonthe
iPhone,askingthespeakertoplaysomethingusingSiri
willdefaulttoAppleMusic,withnowaytochangeit.
Inrecentyears,Applehasslowlybeenlooseningits
griponiOS,allowingthingslikethird-partykeyboards
andgivingdevelopersmoreaccesstoSiri,butit’sdrawn
ahardlineatdefaultapps.Thatstancehasdrawnthe
ireofusersanddevelopersandhasledtoanantitrust
lawsuitagainstthecompany’sAppStorepractices.A
reportinTheWallStreetJournalalsooutlinedApple’s
seeminglyweightedsearchresults.
OpeninguptheiPhoneandiPadtodefault
appsfromthird-partydevelopersisseeminglyan
inevitability,soit’snotatotalsurprisethatApplewould
wanttogetinfrontofanylitigationorregulation.Still,
openingtheiPhonetothird-partyappswouldrepresent
amassiveshiftinthecompany’spolicy.