The epic game says it reduces user drop-off by 60% with Apple’s new installation process

Fortnite Maker Epic Games said Apple’s new installation workflow implemented in iOS 18.6 had a positive impact on user growth, reducing drop-offs by 60%.

Apple enabled EU users to install alternative markets in their Digital Markets Act (DMA) earlier this year. At the time, the installation process was longer and included multiple “scary screens”. This warns of the potential risk of installing apps from sources other than the app store.

The developer complained that Apple’s tactics led people to abandon the installation process. Earlier this year, the EU fined Apple $568 million for failing to comply with the DMA rules.

In July, Apple released a new process for installing third-party app markets on iPhones powered by iOS 18.6. The new process includes only one screen to show users that they may miss several features, such as subscription management offered by the App Store. The screen also notifies users that the alternative App Store developer will process the data directly.

According to Epic Games, prior to the iOS 18.6 update, 65% of users trying to install the game store said they abandoned the process. However, after the update, that figure fell to 25%. The company noted that this drop rate is close to the rate observed by Windows and MacOS users when installing the game store.

Despite this improvement, the company remains critical of Apple’s policies, including billing core technology fees, charging notarization and approval policies imposed, and implementing rules that make it difficult for developers to distribute apps through alternative app stores.

Epic Games has repeatedly debated the lawsuit against the iPhone manufacturer. Apple now allows users to install apps more freely from outside the App Store on Mac computers. In that lawsuit, Apple’s software SVP Craig Federighi said that if the company allows the same level of freedom as MACS, the platform will overrun with malware.

Apple is not the only company that has epic games fighting for. Epic Games criticizes Google for its lengthy process of installing third-party app stores, along with screens that warn users against installing apps from unknown sources. The gaming company said Google mislead users by suggesting that competitor apps like Epic Games could be harmful.

Last year, a US court ordered Google to open a play store and allow third-party app stores. In July, the search giant lost appeals to the decision.