Apple blocks OS emulators on iPhones, but allows gaming emulators: Report

Earlier this year, Apple updated its App Store guidelines allowing retro game console emulators, mini games and mini apps on App Store for iPhone

Apple allows retro gaming console emulator applications on iPhones through the App Store, but the US-based technology giant is denying the same to operating system emulators. According to a report by The Verge, Apple has rejected App Store submissions of iDOS 3, which emulates disk operating systems (DOS) like MS-DOS, and UTM SE, that lets users emulate operating systems like Windows 10, Windows 11, and more on iOS. According to the report Apple said that these apps violate guidelines of the App Store.

Earlier this year Apple updated its guidelines that allowed retro game console emulators, mini games and HTML5 mini apps on iPhones under guideline 4.7.

In a statement to The Verge, Chaoji Li, the developer of iDOS 3 said that their app offers emulation but it is not emulating a retro gaming console and according to the Apple App Review Guideline, the company will only allow retro game console emulators on iPhones. Li said that he asked Apple about the changes in the app required to be compliant, but the company “had no idea”.

Similarly UTM, the developer of UTM SE app posted on X stating that the Apple’s App Store Review board “determined  that ‘PC is not a console’ regardless of the fact that there are retro Windows / DOS games for the PC that UTM SE can be useful in running.” The developer also stated that Apple is not letting UTM SE on third party app marketplaces either as the guideline 4.7 is applicable to Notarization Review Guidelines too.

Apple, earlier this year, announced compatibility for alternative marketplaces for app distribution on Apple’s iPhone operating system – iOS in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). However, the change has faced backlash from multiple app developers including Microsoft’s Xbox, Spotify and more for the notarization requirements. This essentially means that the apps will be required to go through the same security check that other iOS apps go through.