Apple cracks open iOS in Brazil after antitrust pressure

For years, Apple iOS has followed a single rulebook: one App Store, one payment system, one gatekeeper.
In Brazil, that rulebook is about to change.

After a three-year antitrust probe, Apple has agreed to allow third-party app stores and external payment systems on iOS devices in Brazil. The decision comes as part of a settlement with CADE, Brazil’s competition regulator, and marks one of the most direct rollbacks of Apple’s long-standing App Store controls.

This is not a product update. It is a regulatory reset.

How a MercadoLibre complaint reshaped iOS policy

The case began in 2022 when MercadoLibre, a Uruguay-based e-commerce platform operating across Latin America, filed a complaint against Apple. The allegation was straightforward: Apple restricted how digital goods could be distributed and how in-app purchases could be processed on iOS.

CADE took up the case and issued preventive measures in 2024. Earlier in 2025, its technical body recommended ruling against Apple. That pushed the matter to CADE’s internal panel, which has now accepted Apple’s settlement proposal.

The agreement formally ends the probe, but only after Apple rewrites parts of how iOS works in Brazil.

What Apple must change inside iOS

Under the Apple CADE Brazil settlement 2026, Apple will allow:

• Third-party app stores on iOS in Brazil, starting in 2026

• External payment systems for in-app purchases, including links to outside websites

• Neutral warning screens, meaning Apple cannot frame third-party app stores or payment methods in alarmist language

This point on warnings matters. Apple is still allowed to show alerts, but CADE Apple 105-day deadline requires that their tone and wording remain neutral. The goal is to inform users, not steer them back to Apple’s own systems.

Apple will still be allowed to charge commissions on in-app purchases. However, the structure and scale of those fees have not been disclosed.

Apple’s security argument returns again

Apple has publicly accepted the changes, but with visible discomfort.

In its statement, the company said complying with CADE will “open privacy and security risks to users.” Apple added that while it has kept protections against some threats, “these safeguards will not eliminate every risk.”

This framing is familiar. Apple has repeatedly argued that a tightly controlled App Store is central to iOS security, especially for younger users. In Brazil, that argument did not stop regulatory intervention, but it continues to shape Apple’s messaging.

Deadlines, penalties, and the 105-day clock

Once the new rules become mandatory for developers, Apple has 105 days to implement them. If it fails, CADE can impose penalties of up to R$150 million, as per the CADE Apple 105-day deadline.

The agreement will remain in force for three years. Apple has also agreed to withdraw a judicial complaint it had filed against CADE’s 2024 preventive measures, closing the legal loop on this case.

MercadoLibre vs Apple antitrust Brazil has resulted in a partial resolution. While MercadoLibre welcomed CADE’s action, it noted that the settlement “only partially addresses” the need for more balanced competition on iOS.

Why Brazil matters beyond Brazil

Brazil now joins a short list of regions where Apple has been forced to loosen Apple iOS controls. Users in Europe and Japan already have access to iOS alternative app marketplaces global. In the United States, Apple has lost attempts to delay App Store reforms ordered by courts in the Epic Games case.

The Brazil iOS sideloading update adds weight to a growing pattern. Regulators are no longer debating whether Apple’s App Store model limits competition. They are debating how far Apple must go to change it.

India is watching closely

The timing matters for India.

In November 2025, Apple moved the Delhi High Court, challenging provisions of India’s competition law that allow penalties based on global turnover vs relevant turnover India, not just local revenue. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found that Apple exploited its dominant position in the apps market, a charge Apple denies.

The India Competition Act 2023 amendment Apple introduces stricter antitrust penalties based on global turnover. Apple has opposed this model and filed a constitutional challenge India penalty law, arguing the proposed penalties are disproportionate.

If Brazil shows how regulators can force iOS changes without dismantling the platform, Apple antitrust probe India 2024 results could take cues from this outcome.

The potential outcome: a CCI $38 billion fine Apple based on its global earnings. Apple is currently contesting the penalty in court.

The bigger takeaway for iOS users

This is not about installing a new app store tomorrow. It is about control.

Brazil’s settlement shows that Apple iOS rules are no longer written only in Cupertino. They are increasingly shaped in courtrooms and regulatory offices. For Apple, this is a contained compromise. For iOS, it is another step away from a closed system.

The iPhone is not opening all at once, but the locks are no longer absolute.