Apple and Google are stepping in to ease pressure from UK regulators by proposing changes to how their app stores work. The companies have offered to make app reviews, rankings, and access to key phone features more transparent and fair for developers. The moves follow concerns from the Competition and Markets Authority, which says the two companies have too much control over how apps reach users on smartphones. With Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store acting as the main gateways for millions of downloads in the UK, regulators argue that developers often have little choice but to follow the rules set by the platform owners.
The latest proposals come after months of scrutiny by the CMA, which has been investigating the mobile ecosystem as part of the UK’s broader effort to strengthen competition in digital markets. Together, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android power the vast majority of smartphones used in the country, giving the two companies effective control over app distribution, in-app payments, and access to core operating system functions. The regulator has repeatedly warned that this dominance allows platform owners to shape market outcomes in ways that can disadvantage rival apps, limit innovation, and ultimately reduce consumer choice.
At the center of the CMA’s concerns is the app review and approval process. Developers have long complained that app submissions can be rejected with limited explanation and that rules are sometimes applied inconsistently. Therefore, under the proposed changes, Apple and Google say they will provide clearer guidance on app store policies, more detailed reasoning for approval or rejection decisions, and improved channels for developers to challenge outcomes. The aim is to reduce uncertainty for app makers, particularly smaller companies that depend heavily on predictable approval timelines to launch updates and new products.
Another major focus is app rankings and discoverability, where placement in search results or featured sections can significantly influence downloads and revenue, particularly in highly competitive categories. The CMA has warned that apps owned by Apple or Google could gain an unfair advantage through preferential visibility or deeper integration with the operating system. In response, both companies have committed to applying more objective and consistent ranking criteria, aimed at ensuring third-party apps are not pushed aside by the platforms’ own services.
Access to key phone features and the use of developer data have also emerged as critical regulatory issues. As apps increasingly rely on system-level capabilities like payments, default settings, background activity and hardware integration, developers argue that restricted access makes it harder to compete with built-in apps. Apple and Google have proposed clearer processes for requesting access to these features and stronger safeguards around sensitive data shared during app submissions, while the CMA plans to monitor approval times, rejection rates and complaints, keeping the option of tougher, legally binding measures firmly on the table.
Notably, in July 2025, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority proposed designating Apple and Google with a new legal status known as Strategic Market Status, citing their extensive control over mobile operating systems, app stores and web browsers. The proposal followed an investigation launched under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which came into force on January 1, 2025, and would give the regulator stronger enforcement powers, including penalties of up to £300,000 per day or 10% of a company’s global revenue for non-compliance.
This is not the first time the two US tech giants have faced regulatory and legal pressure in the UK. For example, in April 2025, Google was hit with a £5 billion lawsuit accusing the company of abusing its dominance in search advertising, followed a month later by a separate £25 billion claim alleging that it inflated ad prices through default search agreements and tight control over pricing. Apple has also come under scrutiny, with a £1.5 billion lawsuit filed earlier in 2025 in the UK alleging anti-competitive practices tied to the rules and fees governing its App Store.