Brazil gives Apple 90 days to enable third-party app stores on iOS

Brazil has ordered Apple to enable sideloading within 90 days or face fines.

Apple has been forced to enable sideloading for iPhone users in Brazil within the next three months or face daily fines for non-compliance.

On Wednesday, Judge Pablo Zuniga of the Brazilian federal court ordered Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces in the country within the next 90 days. If the company fails to adhere to the court’s order, it could face a fine of more than $40,000 per day.

The judge said the iPhone maker “has already complied with similar obligations in other countries, without demonstrating a significant impact or irreparable damage to its business model.”

The European Union similarly forced Apple to comply with its Digital Markets Act in 2024. With the introduction of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 18, Apple enabled sideloading for iPhone and iPad users within the EU.

Now, Brazil wants Apple to do the same. As spotted by 9to5mac, and originally reported by the Brazilian publication Valor Economico, Judge Zuniga explained that the “limitations” Apple has imposed on developers could prevent future competitors from entering the market.

In a response to the Brazilian publication, an Apple spokesperson said that the company “believes in vibrant and competitive markets,” adding that the iPhone maker “faces competition in all segments and jurisdictions” where it operates.

The original antitrust complaint was filed against Apple in 2022 by Brazilian regulator Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica, or CADE. After an investigation and a bad ruling for Apple, an unreasonable implementation timeline was proposed and quickly overturned. More recently, in February 2025, the regulator held a public hearing on the issue.

Apple plans to fight the ruling of the Brazilian federal court, saying that the proposed changes would outright harm the privacy and security of iPhone and iPad users. The entire process could continue for months, and the outcome remains to be seen, but there is a decent chance Apple could be forced into compliance in one way or another.