Epic Games, the developer behind the popular game Fortnite, has observed a significant improvement in user retention following Apple’s implementation of a new installation workflow in iOS 18.6. The company reports a 60% decrease in user drop-offs during the installation process.
Earlier this year, under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple began permitting users in the EU to install alternative app marketplaces on their devices. However, the initial installation process was cumbersome, involving multiple warning screens that cautioned users about potential risks associated with downloading apps from sources other than the App Store. These scare screens led to a high abandonment rate among users attempting to install third-party applications.
In response to developer feedback and regulatory pressure, Apple introduced a streamlined installation process with the release of iOS 18.6 in July. The updated workflow consolidates the warnings into a single screen, informing users that they might miss certain features, such as subscription management offered by the App Store, and that the alternative app store’s developer will handle their data directly.
Epic Games reports that prior to the iOS 18.6 update, 65% of users attempting to install its game store abandoned the process. Following the update, this figure dropped to 25%, aligning more closely with the drop-off rates observed on Windows and macOS platforms.
Despite the improvements, Epic Games continues to express concerns over Apple’s policies, including the imposition of core technology fees, stringent notarization and approval processes, and rules that complicate the distribution of apps through alternative app stores.
The company draws parallels to Apple’s macOS platform, where users have greater freedom to install applications from outside the App Store. During a previous lawsuit, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, argued that extending the same level of freedom to iOS could result in increased malware threats.
