Apple and Google have agreed to make changes to their UK app stores following intervention by the country’s competition watchdog, after it concluded the two firms hold an “effective duopoly” over the sector.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the tech giants have committed to a series of measures designed to improve transparency and competition. These include pledges not to give preferential treatment to their own apps and to be clearer about 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 formally designated both companies’ app stores as having “strategic market status”, giving it enhanced powers to demand changes under the UK’s new digital competition regime.
Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive, said the agreements marked an important milestone. “These proposed commitments will boost the UK’s 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 regime and offers a practical route to swiftly address the concerns we’ve identified.”
As part of the deal, both companies have also agreed not to use data collected from third-party app developers in ways the regulator considers unfair. Cardell described the changes as “important first steps”, adding that the CMA would continue working with the companies on further remedies.
The watchdog said it would “closely monitor” implementation and would not hesitate to impose legally binding requirements if the commitments were not honoured.
Both companies welcomed the outcome. Apple said it faced “fierce competition in every market where we operate” and that it was committed to delivering the best possible products and user experience. Google said it believed its existing practices on the Play Store were already fair and transparent, but added that it “welcomes the opportunity to resolve the CMA’s concerns collaboratively”.
Analysts cautioned 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 tackling “low-hanging fruit”. “There will inevitably be calls for a tougher clampdown from some quarters,” he said.
The CMA said the UK app economy is the largest in Europe by revenue and number of developers, generating an estimated 1.5 per cent of UK GDP and supporting around 400,000 jobs.
Both Apple and Google have previously warned against the UK adopting rules similar to those in the European Union, where large online platforms designated as “gatekeepers” face sweeping 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 undermine privacy and security.
Apple said the UK commitments reflected its “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 persist.
