iPhone Owners In Brazil Can Now Do Something US Users Still Can't

After the European Union (EU) and Japan, Brazil has become the third major region to get official support for installing apps on iPhones using alternative app stores. This is a result of a December settlement between Apple and Brazil's antitrust regulator, the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), after a three-year-long case. Although Brazil is not a volume driver for Apple, the company has consistently dominated the country's premium smartphone segment, according to research firm Omdia.

Notably, unlike in the EU, iPad owners in Brazil remain limited to using the official App Store, as they do not get alternative app store support. Moreover, Brazilian iPhone owners also don't get the ability to directly download and install apps from a developer's website using web distribution. Besides allowing alternative app stores, Apple is allowing third-party payment processing for in-app purchases (IAPs), which will enable app developers to skip Apple's cut on IAPs for more financially favorable payment processors. Both these developments are good news for iPhone owners as well as app developers, as they are no longer restricted by the iPhone maker's monopoly on the app ecosystem. Sadly, the alternative app store support remains unavailable in the U.S. for now. However, the company does allow external purchase links in apps after an App Store policy change following a court ruling.

Brazilian iPhone users will need to update their iPhones to iOS 26.5 to benefit from the latest changes and download apps from an alternative app store. Other major requirements to enable the feature are that your Apple account's country be Brazil and that you be physically located there; otherwise, it won't work. For example, even if your Apple account is set to Brazil, you won't be able to use alternative app stores if you're currently traveling elsewhere. However, once you have activated the feature and installed apps from a third-party store and you travel somewhere else or move out of the country completely, you'll still be able to use the apps.

That said, you'll only get updates to the apps installed from third-party stores for 90 days if you are outside Brazil. Apple says it has made necessary changes to iOS to mitigate risk to anyone using a third-party app store, such as 'Notarization for iOS' apps — essentially a basic review process applied to any app, regardless of its source. However, the company warns that its safeguards don't completely eliminate risk.

AltStore, a prominent alternative app store for iOS, is already available in Brazil for iPhone owners. You can install it from the official website and set it as your default store for getting apps on your iPhone. The installation process is fairly straightforward. You can head over to the AltStore download page in Chrome, Safari, or Vivaldi, and tap on the Download button. This will trigger an alert asking you to allow the marketplace installation in Settings. Head over to your iPhone settings. You'll see a new option below your Apple ID — open it and allow the installation. 

Then go back to the AltStore download page and hit Download again, tap the 'Install' button, and confirm using the iPhone side button. AltStore is now installed on your iPhone. You can open it and start installing the apps you want. The Aptoide store is also live in Brazil, and Epic is planning to roll out its Games Store later in 2026.