Apple and Google have agreed to make changes to their UK app stores after the country’s competition watchdog intervened after it concluded the two companies held an “effective duopoly” over the sector.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the tech giants had committed to a range of measures designed to improve transparency and competition. This includes a commitment to not favoring your own apps and making it clearer how third-party apps are reviewed and approved for sale.
The commitments come seven months after the CMA warned that Apple and Google’s dominance of mobile app distribution in the UK was stifling competition. In October 2025, the regulator officially granted both companies’ app stores “strategic market” status, giving it expanded powers to require changes under the UK’s new digital competition regime.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said the agreements were an important milestone. “These proposed commitments will boost the UK app economy and are the first of many measures,” she said. “The ability to secure immediate commitments from Apple and Google reflects the unique flexibility of the UK’s digital markets competition system and provides a practical way to quickly address the concerns we have identified.”
As part of the agreement, both companies have also agreed not to use data collected by third-party app developers in a way that the regulator deems unfair. Cardell described the changes as “important first steps” and added that the CMA would continue to work with companies on further remedies.
The regulator said it would “closely monitor” implementation and would not hesitate to impose legally binding requirements if commitments were not met.
Both companies welcomed the result. Apple said it faces “fierce competition in every market in which we operate” and is committed to delivering the best possible products and user experience. Google said it believes its existing Play Store practices are already fair and transparent, but added that it “welcomes the opportunity to collectively address the CMA’s concerns.”
Analysts warned that the agreement may not be the final word. Paolo Pescatore, a technology analyst, described the move as a “pragmatic first step” but said some critics would view it as “low-hanging fruit.” “There will inevitably be calls from some quarters for tougher action,” he said.
The CMA said the UK app economy is the largest in Europe in terms of revenue and number of developers, generating an estimated 1.5 percent of the UK’s GDP and supporting around 400,000 jobs.
Both Apple and Google have previously warned that the U.K. is adopting rules similar to those in the European Union, where major online platforms known as “gatekeepers” face broad obligations. Apple has already been forced in the EU to introduce changes such as offering users a choice of default browser and has argued that some requirements compromise privacy and security.
Apple said the UK’s commitments reflect the company’s “constructive engagement” with the CMA and a more pragmatic approach to regulation – but the regulator has made clear that further intervention remains on the table if competition concerns remain.
