Since the EU's Digital Markets Act came into effect on November 1, 2022, Apple had to make a lot, I mean, a lot of changes to keep its ship afloat. Implemented in March 2024, DMA shook up Apple's ecosystem to some extent. After legal challenges, Apple introduced a series of new features for iPhones in the EU to comply with the DMA and avoid penalties. These EU-exclusive iPhone features are currently not available anywhere else, including the US.

While Apple added some big and small changes to its policies, some of them are extremely exciting. In this article, I have listed the best EU-exclusive iPhone features that no one else would get. If you live outside the EU, like me, these features will make you realize what you're missing out on. Trust me, you'll be the envy of EU iPhone users after knowing these perks.

One of the biggest EU-exclusive iPhone features introduced by Apple is iOS 17 sideloading. Ever since the giant released its iPhone software update 2023, iPhone superfans have been excited to know whether sideloading is coming in iOS 17 or not. After all the apologies and efforts to maintain its walled garden, Apple needs to push these boundaries to avoid a massive lawsuit.

Finally, with iOS 17.4, EU users have the freedom to access alternative app stores. Now that means iPhone users in the EU can download third-party marketplaces. This is where they can install apps that may not be available on Apple's official App Store. Apple has "split the App Store in two" to comply with the DMA. Now the App Store has two versions. One is the EU version which allows access to third-party app stores. The second version will remain the same for all other countries.