AltStore Available in Japan One Day After Apple Enables Alternative App Marketplaces
Just a day after Apple announced alternative app marketplace support for iOS users in Japan, AltStore PAL has launched in the country.
iPhone users in Japan can download the alternative app marketplace from the AltStore website, and then use the AltStore to download apps without having to go through Apple's App Store. Prospective AltStore users need to be physically located in Japan, and have a Japanese App Store account. Devices also need to be running iOS 26.2 or later.
AltStore developer Riley Testut said that Apple did not provide a heads up about the App Store rule changes that went into effect yesterday, but the marketplace was able to launch within a few hours because it has been live in the European Union for months now.
To celebrate AltStore PAL's launch in Japan, users can get a month of free Patreon access with patron-exclusive features. AltStore is free to download, but the AltStore Patreon provides access to beta updates for the popular Delta game emulator.
Along with Delta, AltStore PAL offers several other apps created by independent developers, some of which have functionality that's not allowed in the standard App Store. Apps distributed through AltStore PAL are able to monetize through Patreon subscriptions.
Apple is allowing alternative app marketplaces to meet the requirements of the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA) that went into effect on December 18. Marketplace apps are required to pay Apple a five percent Core Technology Commission.
Alternative app marketplaces require authorization from Apple to operate, and are able to distribute apps that have also been notarized by Apple. The notarization process checks for basic functionality and ensures that apps do not include malware, but marketplace apps are not subject to the same content requirements, and Apple has little content oversight.
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
