The walls around Apple’s walled garden continue to slowly crumble as it introduces features that were once practically taboo for the company, largely due to new regulations in the European Union. Some of these changes, like the addition of a USB-C port, have made it to the iPhone lineup globally, but not all of the changes have rolled out globally. Earlier this year, Apple updated iOS to let users in the EU change their default email and browser apps, and soon after began opening up its platform to third-party app stores . Today, Apple announced (via The Verge) that it’s expanding those controls even further.

By the end of the year, iOS and iPadOS will let you set default apps for phone calls, messages, keyboards, call spam filters, and even password managers. In the EU, there will also be options to remove apps such as the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari. The only apps you can’t remove are the Settings and Phone apps.

Apple is also making a small change to the browser choice screen in the EU. After the next update, if Safari is set as your default browser, Apple will prompt you to scroll through the full list of alternative browsers on first launch, even if you have seen this browser choice screen before. This will ensure that users are better able to explore their options and inform them of any options that may have changed.

The new screen also includes additional information about third-party browsers that wasn’t available in the previous version of the Browser Choice screen. Developers will be especially happy to hear that Apple will soon be sending them more data surrounding the Choice screen, so the companies can track their performance and make improvements accordingly.

All of this marks a significant (if somewhat forced) change for Apple. And it’s just the beginning, as Apple plans to introduce even more customizable defaults in spring 2025, including options for navigation and translation apps.

While all of these changes are great, keep in mind that they only apply to the EU and will likely remain so unless the US government considers a similar approach or consumer demand pushes them to make the change. Baby steps, right?