The image does not belong to buddystech.com
AltStore PAL, the first third-party app shop for iOS, has gone live in the European Union⁴. This is a big deal. The launch comes after the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which says Apple has to let people put alternative app stores on their iPhones⁁.
AltStore PAL was made by Riley Testut and Shane Gill. It can be downloaded from the Altstore website and put on EU iPhones that have iOS 17.4 or later². It’s easy to install, but users have to go through several “scare sheets” that make sure they really want to install apps that aren’t from Apple’s official App Store².
Apple charges a one-time fee of €1.50 (plus tax) for installing AltStore PAL, which covers the Core Technology Fee (CTF) for each customer. With this small fee, users can get a lot of different apps. There aren’t many apps to choose from right now, but that’s likely to change.
EU users can now get two apps made by Riley Testut: Clip, which manages your clipboard, and Delta, which is an iPhone replacement for old games. Clip needs a Patreon donation of at least €1 (plus tax) a month, but Delta can be downloaded for free².
Clip is a manager for your clipboard that usually needs hacks that are against the rules of the App Store². However, Delta can play games from the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS². Delta can also be downloaded in the US, which is interesting because Apple just recently added old game versions to the App Store².
AltStore PAL will connect with Patreon² so that it can make money. As a prize for crowdsourcing money, developers can offer test apps through AltStore, which is something that Apple’s App Store does not presently allow².
In sum, AltStore PAL’s release is a big deal in the tech world⁹. It gives people an option to Apple’s App Store, supports small makers, and lets people get unique apps for a low price. It will be interesting to see how this change affects the way apps are distributed in the future.
