Since the birth of iOS (the earliest iPhone OS) in 2007, the iPhone’s built-in browser has always been based on Webkit-based Safari, although Apple allows third-party browsers to be developed, and even allows users to change the default browser in the past two years. But Webkit has always been the “bottom line” that Apple sticks to.

When we use Windows, Mac, Linux or Android, we can use Gecko-based Firefox or Chromium-based Chrome, Edge, Brave and other browsers on these platforms, but on iOS/iPadOS, everything has to obey Apple The arrangement, that is to say, on these two platforms, whether it is Chrome or Firefox, they can only use Webkit.

However, this appears to be changing soon.

according toBloombergApple is planning to open up more iOS features to third-party apps, including the browser engine, after facing pressure from the European Union and governments of several countries, according to reports.One of the main reasons for such a change is that the Digital Markets Act Act (the latest date to comply with the Act is March 6, 2024), which has strict regulations on app distribution, payment, and more that Apple needs to comply with.

In addition to opening up the browser engine, according to the requirements of the bill, Apple also needs to enable iPhone and iPad users to install applications through iOS’s alternative application store, allowing developers to distribute applications outside the App Store.

It’s uncertain when these changes will be rolled out to the public, but given that the bill is due to go into effect next year, it’s likely some of them will be unveiled in next year’s iOS 17.