You can add Japan to the list of regions where Apple has been forced to do something it would rather not: open up the App Store. On Thursday, the company class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=4130e2f0-a14f-4c5e-bdab-cd52ac7d8e79&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=5e3fd528-9ae3-4fa5-b524-acc88551b9d7&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Apple&linkText=announced&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hcHBsZS5jb20vbmV3c3Jvb20vMjAyNS8xMi9hcHBsZS1hbm5vdW5jZXMtY2hhbmdlcy10by1pb3MtaW4tamFwYW4vIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI1ZTNmZDUyOC05YWUzLTRmYTUtYjUyNC1hY2M4ODU1MWI5ZDciLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFwcGxlLmNvbS9uZXdzcm9vbS8yMDI1LzEyL2FwcGxlLWFubm91bmNlcy1jaGFuZ2VzLXRvLWlvcy1pbi1qYXBhbi8ifQ&signature=AQAAAbCmrJB7K04yrNjlMdEEHrU1rzftBzrWA43JJUnvr1no&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fnewsroom%2F2025%2F12%2Fapple-announces-changes-to-ios-in-japan%2F&spaceId=1197802876″ data-i13n=”elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Apple;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:announced;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Apple;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>announced changes to iOS in Japan to comply with the nation’s Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA). The tighter regulations for Apple and Google, which overlap class=”link ” href=”https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-repeats-its-long-held-criticism-of-the-eus-digital-markets-act-130058440.html” data-i13n=”cpos:2;pos:1″ data-ylk=”slk:with Europe’s;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>with Europe’s, took effect today. Users in the US and elsewhere won’t see any of these changes.

Apple’s changes in class=”link ” href=”https://www.engadget.com/mobile/ios-262-is-here-with-another-liquid-glass-tweak-new-podcasts-features-and-more-181020133.html” data-i13n=”cpos:3;pos:1″ data-ylk=”slk:iOS 26.2;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>iOS 26.2 in Japan revolve around alternative app stores, payments outside the…

You can add Japan to the list of regions where Apple has been forced to do something it would rather not: open up the App Store. On Thursday, the company class=”link rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link” href=”https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=4130e2f0-a14f-4c5e-bdab-cd52ac7d8e79&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=5e3fd528-9ae3-4fa5-b524-acc88551b9d7&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Apple&linkText=announced&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hcHBsZS5jb20vbmV3c3Jvb20vMjAyNS8xMi9hcHBsZS1hbm5vdW5jZXMtY2hhbmdlcy10by1pb3MtaW4tamFwYW4vIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI1ZTNmZDUyOC05YWUzLTRmYTUtYjUyNC1hY2M4ODU1MWI5ZDciLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFwcGxlLmNvbS9uZXdzcm9vbS8yMDI1LzEyL2FwcGxlLWFubm91bmNlcy1jaGFuZ2VzLXRvLWlvcy1pbi1qYXBhbi8ifQ&signature=AQAAAbCmrJB7K04yrNjlMdEEHrU1rzftBzrWA43JJUnvr1no&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fnewsroom%2F2025%2F12%2Fapple-announces-changes-to-ios-in-japan%2F&spaceId=1197802876″ data-i13n=”elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Apple;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:announced;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Apple;elmt:;cpos:1;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>announced changes to iOS in Japan to comply with the nation’s Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA). The tighter regulations for Apple and Google, which overlap class=”link ” href=”https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-repeats-its-long-held-criticism-of-the-eus-digital-markets-act-130058440.html” data-i13n=”cpos:2;pos:1″ data-ylk=”slk:with Europe’s;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>with Europe’s, took effect today. Users in the US and elsewhere won’t see any of these changes.

Apple’s changes in class=”link ” href=”https://www.engadget.com/mobile/ios-262-is-here-with-another-liquid-glass-tweak-new-podcasts-features-and-more-181020133.html” data-i13n=”cpos:3;pos:1″ data-ylk=”slk:iOS 26.2;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>iOS 26.2 in Japan revolve around alternative app stores, payments outside the…