Apple has already made numerous changes to the iPhone in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act, the European legislation which governs the digital giants. But although the firm has already made several concessions, such as allowing App Store competitors or opening the NFC module to Apple Pay competitors, it still plans some changes. And among these, there is the possibility of using third-party applications as the default app for translation and navigation functions.
This change is mentioned by Apple in a document which summarizes the measures taken to comply with the Digital Markets Act. In spring 2025, Apple will allow you to configure default applications for translation and navigation. As a reminder, applications like Google Maps or Google Translate are already available on the App Store and can be used as an alternative to the services offered by default by Apple.
However, the default app status for translation and navigation features will allow these apps to benefit from better integration with iOS, and be more easily accessible. Although Apple offers its own navigation and translation services, many iPhone users are more comfortable with the apps offered by Google. However, it should also be noted that, in recent years, Apple has continued to improve its competitor Google Maps.
The iPhone has never been so customizable
In any case, thanks to the Digital Markets Act, iPhone users in the European Union have a freedom that was still unimaginable a few years ago. Otherwise, as the MacRumors site notes, Apple had already indicated that it would allow its default navigation application to be replaced. However, until now, we did not have the timetable.
“For EU users, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will also include a new Default Apps section in Settings that lists the default settings available for each user. In upcoming software updates, users will benefit from new default settings for dialing, sending messages, text translation, navigation, password management, keyboards and filters anti-spam”the firm announced in a publication in August.
- Apple continues to make concessions to make the iPhone compliant with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union
- In 2025, it will be possible to choose your default application for translation and navigation
- In other words, Waze or Google Maps could become your new default navigation app on iPhone, if you are in the EU
