There are lots of different browser and email apps available on the iPhone, but the thing is that you can't make them your default choice over Apple's built-in apps. According to a new report, that might be changing.
Apple is reportedly considering letting iPhone and iPad owners change their default web browser and email apps from Safari and Mail to third-party options. The report from Bloomberg adds that Apple might also allow HomePod owners to stream music directly from third-party services like Spotify and Pandora.
It's said that these changes are still under discussion and that final decisions on whether or not they'll actually happen haven't been made inside Apple. If the company does decide to make these changes, they could appear as soon as iOS 14's launch later this year.
iOS does offer several alternative options to Apple's Safari and Mail apps, but you can't set them as your default app. That means if you tap a link in an email, you'll automatically be sent to Safari even if you prefer Chrome. Or if you tap an email address on a web page, you'll be sent to Apple's Mail app instead of Gmail or Outlook.
This has always been the case with iOS, but Apple has been facing some antitrust pressure lately and so the company may feel like it needs to loosen up with regard to third-party app defaults. Apple was questioned about setting third-party apps as default during a U.S. House of Representatives antitrust panel last year, and Spotify filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in Europe one year ago.
If you had the option, would you set third-party browser and mail apps as the default on your iPhone or iPad?