After the European Union (EU) and Japan, Brazil has become the third major region to receive official support for installing apps on iPhone through alternative app stores. This is the result of a December settlement between Apple and Brazil’s antitrust regulator, the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), after a three-year case. Although Brazil is not a volume driver for Apple, the company has historically dominated the country’s premium smartphone segment, according to research firm Omdia.
Notably, unlike the EU, iPad owners in Brazil remain limited to using the official App Store, as they do not benefit from alternative App Store support. Additionally, Brazilian iPhone owners also don’t have the option to directly download and install apps from a developer’s website using a web distribution. In addition to allowing alternative app stores, Apple is allowing third-party payment processing for in-app purchases (IAPs), which will allow app developers to avoid Apple’s discount on IAPs in favor of more financially beneficial payment processors. Both of these developments are good news for iPhone owners as well as app developers, as they are no longer limited by the iPhone maker’s monopoly on the app ecosystem. Unfortunately, alternative App Store support remains unavailable in the United States at this time. However, the company is allowing external purchase links in apps after an App Store policy change following a court ruling.
You need iOS 26.5 or later to enable alternative app stores in Brazil
Brazilian iPhone users will need to update their iPhone 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 country is Brazil and that you are 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 other app stores if you’re currently traveling elsewhere. However, once you enable the feature and install apps from a third-party store and travel elsewhere or leave the country altogether, you will still be able to use the apps.
That said, you will only receive updates for 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 risks for 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 protective measures do not completely eliminate risks.
The first alternative app stores are already online in Brazil
AltStore, a leading 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 the default store to get apps on your iPhone. The installation process is quite simple. You can go to the AltStore download page in Chrome, Safari, or Vivaldi and tap the Download button. This will trigger an alert asking you to allow the Marketplace to be installed in Settings. Go to your iPhone settings. You will see a new option under your Apple ID: open it and authorize the installation.
Then go back to the AltStore download page and tap 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 available in Brazil and Epic plans to roll out its game store later in 2026.
