Apple and Google have agreed to a package of voluntary commitments with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority that will require them to treat third-party apps more fairly on their app stores, after the regulator designated their mobile platforms as holding “strategic market status” in October 2025.
The CMA said the commitments, which are due to take effect from 1 April 2026 subject to consultation, will require the companies to ensure app review and ranking processes operate in a “fair, objective and transparent way” and that they do not discriminate against apps competing with their own services. The regulator previously found that Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android power 90–100 per cent of UK smartphones, creating what it described as an effective duopoly.
Under the agreement, both companies have pledged not to use data gathered from third-party developers unfairly, including information obtained during app review. Apple has separately committed to give developers a clearer route to request access to iOS features such as digital wallets and live translation, enabling rival products to interoperate more easily with its operating system.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “The ability to secure immediate commitments from Apple and Google reflects the unique flexibility of the UK digital markets competition regime and offers a practical route to swiftly address the concerns we’ve identified.” She added that the measures were “important first steps” while the authority works on further changes.
The commitments do not address commission fees of up to 30 per cent on in-app purchases and subscriptions, which the CMA has previously described as a key concern. The regulator said it would continue engaging with both companies on issues including alternative payment methods and distribution terms.
Tom Smith, a competition lawyer at Geradin Partners and former CMA director, told the Guardian that the initial package was “so lightweight that it barely exists”, arguing that the promises lack legal force unless formalised. He said more significant measures, such as allowing alternative app stores or reducing commission charges, may follow later in the year.
An Apple spokesperson said the company faced “fierce competition” and that the commitments would allow it to continue advancing privacy and security innovations. A Google spokesperson said it believed its existing Play Store practices were “fair, objective, and transparent” but welcomed the opportunity to address the CMA’s concerns collaboratively.
The CMA said the UK’s app economy generates an estimated 1.5 per cent of GDP and supports around 400,000 jobs.
