Apple has announced that apps on its U.S. App Store can now include links that take users to their own websites for buying subscriptions or digital goods.
This move follows a legal decision in favour of Epic Games, which challenged Apple’s tight control over in-app purchases.
The change became public after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines, saying the update was made to meet the court’s requirements.
The legal dispute began in 2020 when Epic Games accused Apple of holding too much power over how transactions were handled on apps hosted in the App Store.
In 2021, the court ruled that Apple must allow app developers to guide users to external websites for payments, helping them avoid Apple’s 30% commission.
Apple initially responded by letting apps use external payment methods but still charged a 27% commission and added warning screens, which some critics called “scare screens,” to discourage users from leaving the App Store.
However, this week’s court decision forces Apple to remove those warning screens and change its guidelines.
It is not yet clear if Apple will stop taking commissions from external payments altogether.
While Apple has stated that it disagrees with the court’s ruling and plans to appeal, it will follow the current order for now.
Meanwhile, Spotify, which has been in similar fights with Apple over external payments, has already submitted an updated app to the U.S. App Store that lets users purchase subscriptions directly on its own website.
