Apple Inc. today previewed an update for iOS and iPadOS that will improve the operating systems’ compliance with the European Union’s DMA law.

The update is set to roll out at an unspecified date later this year.

The DMA, or Digital Markets Act, is a piece of legislation that the European Parliament passed in 2022. It established a set of new regulatory requirements for large tech firms designated as gatekeepers by the EU. Apple received gatekeeper status last year along with Microsoft Corp., Meta Platforms Inc. and a number of other companies.

Under the DMA, tech giants must provide an easy way for users to uninstall preloaded applications from their mobile devices. The first enhancement in the operating system update that Apple previewed today is designed to address that requirement. It will give iPhone and iPad users in the EU the option to delete the App Store along with the Messages, Photos, Camera and Safari apps.

Apple is also enhancing two existing settings panels in its operating systems. Those interface sections were originally rolled out in March as part of an earlier effort by the company to improve its compliance with the DMA.

The first panel, which is known as the browser choice screen, makes it possible to replace Safari as a device’s default browser. When the feature first made its debut in March, Apple indicated that it plans to eventually list as many as 11 competing browsers for consumers. Developers can apply for a spot on the list if their browsers have at least 5,000 recent downloads and meet certain other requirements.

The update previewed today will overhaul the browser choice screen’s interface. Users will gain the ability to bring up the listed browsers’ App Store product pages by tapping on a new chevron icon. Additionally, they will have to scroll through the full list of Safari alternatives before selecting one as the default.

Apple is also changing how and when the menu appears. After the update rolls out, the company plans to show the browser choice screen once per device rather than one per user. Meanwhile, customers who migrate settings from one Apple handset to another will have to reselect a default browser after making the switch.

Developers are also set to receive new features as part of the update. Apple will enable browser makers to access more data about how users engage with their apps via the browser choice panel. The metrics are set to become available through an application programming interface in App Store Connect, the company’s app analytics dashboard.

The third focus of the operating system update is the Default Apps settings menu in iOS and iPadOS. The panel will be enhanced to let users set default settings for dialing phone numbers, sending messages, translating text, navigation, managing passwords, keyboards and call spam filters. It’s already possible to change the default settings of an Apple device’s app store, browser, e-mail client and contactless payment apps.

Image: Apple