Significant Increase in Brave Browser Installations on iPhone Following iOS 17.4 Update in the EU

Increase in Brave Browser Installations Following iOS 17.4 Changes in the EU

Brave, an alternative browser company, has notified of a sharp increase in installations on iPhones following Apple's implementation of significant iOS changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act in force in the European Union.

What's New in iOS 17.4 Update

Part of this increase can be attributed to the recent launch of the iOS 17.4 update. Now, users in the EU are presented with an introductory screen when opening Safari, allowing them to choose a new default browser. Apple offers not only the standard browsers that were previously available on iOS, but also a list of the most downloaded browsers on iOS devices including well-known options such as Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Brave and Microsoft Edge.

Growing Number of Brave Installations

Brave shared on its X page (formerly Twitter) a line graph showing the number of Brave browser installations on iOS from mid-January to early March. Daily installations were between 7,500 and 10,000, before jumping to just over 11,000 following the iOS 17.4 release on 6 March. In a subsequent post, Brave emphasised that "monopoly proponents argue that monopolies simply offer better products. But as you can see, when consumers have a clear choice of iOS browsers, they are choosing alternatives to Safari." The privacy-focused company added: "Perhaps that is why Google has not yet implemented a browser choice screen on Android."  

Requirements to be considered an alternative browser

To be eligible to appear on the alternative browser list, Apple's note indicates that these must have the Default Browser permission now available to developers and must have been downloaded "by at least 5,000 users across all EU App Store versions on iPhone in the previous calendar year." From these, Apple selects up to 11 for the browser choice screen in addition to Safari, updating the list once per calendar year. The growth in the number of Brave browser installations suggests that Apple's changes are providing users with greater choice diversity, contributing to a more competitive browser market. Made with AI. Source: Tim Hardwick Reviewed by:

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In this article

1. Increase in Brave Browser Installations Following iOS 17.4 Changes in the EU
2. What's New in iOS 17.4 Update
3. Requirements to be considered an alternative browser
4. Did You Know...

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