Apple must permit rival app stores, direct downloads, and alternative payment services for iPhone users in Australia following a Federal Court ruling. While Fortnite returned immediately to the Australian App Store on October 22, 2026, broader structural changes take effect March 1, 2027, as Apple plans an appeal.
Justice Jonathan Beach delivered a 235-page decision ordering Apple to dismantle key restrictions across its iOS ecosystem. The Federal Court of Australia requires the iPhone maker to allow Australian account holders to discover, download, install, and update apps through competing marketplaces and direct developer websites.
Justice Beach pointed to Apple’s 2020 actions against Epic Games—including blocking Epic Direct Pay and pulling Fortnite from the store—as a paradigm example
of enforcing restrictive terms that violated section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
Justice Beach described Apple as holding a substantial degree of power in the iOS app distribution services market.
He also described Apple as holding a substantial degree of power in the iOS in-app payment solutions market.
Apple used its developer programme licence agreement and App Store Review Guidelines to restrict competition.
Big news: Fortnite is coming back to the App Store in Australia tomorrow!Today the Australia Federal Court told Apple to open up iOS after finding they violated competition law. Here’s what’s changing in Australia in March 2027:• iOS will be open to third party app stores•…
Court Orders Fortnite Back on Australian iPhones
Fortnite reappeared on the Australian App Store on October 22, 2026, while most structural changes carry a delayed compliance deadline. The return follows a legal battle that kept the hit title off Australian iOS devices for more than a year while litigation played out locally.
Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the milestone on social media. The Court has freed Fortnite in Australia and it will return alongside the Epic Games Store … soon,
Sweeney posted on X, describing the outcome as a huge victory for consumers and developers.
Prior to the ruling, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had been granted leave to intervene in the Epic v Apple proceedings.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission signaled that the regulator saw broad competition implications extending well beyond a single app.
This is great news for developers worldwide and iOS users in Australia who will benefit from an open mobile app ecosystem.
Epic Games, via official newsroom channel and X
Australia remained excluded from global reinstatements earlier in the year due to what Epic described as an illegal payment arrangement. Under the court’s current orders, Apple must readmit Fortnite and other Epic-developed apps upon receiving a written application, provided they comply with developer review guidelines that align with the court’s orders. In a separate class action decided the same day, Justice Beach refused to declare that any particular developer or app user had been overcharged, leaving that specific question of compensation for later hearings.
The Australian Epic v Apple antitrust remedies were just issued, and are a huge victory for consumers and developers. We are studying the verdict and will share more soon.The Court has freed Fortnite in Australia and it will return alongside the Epic Games Store…soon. pic.twitter.com/Ib1FIu1z9t
March 2027 Compliance Deadline Brings Fee Restrictions
The broader structural transformation for Australian users is scheduled to take effect at noon Melbourne time on March 1, 2027. From that date, Apple must supply developers enrolled in the Apple Developer Program worldwide with the necessary tools, APIs, and software development kits on substantially the same terms offered for App Store distribution.
The legal decision places strict financial and operational boundaries around how Apple operates its platform in the region. Apple cannot force developers to offer its own payment system alongside alternatives, nor can it require them to report transactions or allow audits of payments processed through other services. Apple cannot penalize developers for choosing rival app stores or competing payment providers.
- Apple cannot charge users or developers for accessing alternative distribution channels.
- Commissions on purchases made through alternative payment services or external websites are barred.
- Fees for apps distributed through the official App Store are capped at the rate charged for physical goods or services, plus genuine and reasonable digital processing costs.
- Developers can offer lower prices through competing payment services without interference.
Security measures remain permitted under strict boundaries. Additional security requirements for competing payment systems must be necessary and proportionate, with developers given an explanation in writing beforehand.
Apple Files for Appeal and Seeks Court Stay
Apple intends to challenge the judgment. A company spokesperson told Reuters that the firm would request a stay and appeal the outcome to protect its intellectual property and the secure experience consumers expect. Regulators in other jurisdictions have pursued similar paths: the European Union forced Apple to allow alternative marketplaces and sideloading—while United States courts have at various points ordered Apple to loosen restrictions on external payment links.
We will request a stay and appeal the outcome to seek a resolution that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience that consumers and developers expect from the App Store.
Apple spokesperson, via Reuters
Under the procedural timeline set by Justice Beach, Apple has the option to apply to the court between February 1 and February 15, 2027, with supporting evidence, to request an extension of the compliance deadline until May 3, 2027. Will a granted stay pause these obligations while the appeals process unfolds, and how will the future mechanics of Australian iOS app distribution be handled?
