Apple will let EU apps use less-alarming tracking-consent screens
- ID
- 25607
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 18 Sep 2026, 12:09 AM
- Fetched
- 18 Sep 2026, 12:52 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/17/apple-will-let-eu-apps-use-less-alarming-tracking-consent-screens/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 5.0
- Created
- 18 Sep 2026, 12:53 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
Following a multi-year antitrust probe by Germany's competition regulator and others, Apple agreed to let EU-distributed apps show alternative App Tracking Transparency (ATT) consent screens with less alarming formatting. Changes include full-page screens instead of pop-ups, removing the word 'track', using 'Allow'/'Reject' buttons instead of 'Allow'/'Ask App Not to Track', and adding a clickable link for more info. The alternative screens are available only in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania.
Why it matters
If you ship an iOS app with ad tracking in any of these five EU markets, you can now redesign your ATT prompt to be less off-putting—expect higher opt-in rates. Malaysian developers targeting EU users should evaluate whether switching to the alternative prompt format improves their ad revenue, though this does not apply to Malaysia or other non-EU markets.
Discussion angle
Compare opt-in rates between the old 'Ask App Not to Track' phrasing and the new 'Reject' phrasing—does softer language actually move the needle, or do users still reject tracking regardless of wording?