Brave Browser Reports Spike in EU Installs After iOS 17.4 DMA Changes

[MacRumors]

Alternative browser company Brave has reported a sharp increase in iPhone installs since Apple made sweeping changes to iOS in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union.

With the recent iOS 17.4 update, users in the EU are presented with a splash screen upon opening Safari that allows them to choose a new default browser.

Apple is not providing just the standard browsers that have been options on iOS in the past, but a list of the most downloaded browsers on iOS devices. Some of the options include Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge.

Brave shared an image on X (Twitter) of a line graph showing the number of Brave browser installations on iOS from mid-January to early March. Daily installs hovered around 7,500 to 10,000, before jumping to just over 11,000 following the release of iOS 17.4 on March 6.

"Monopoly defenders argue that the monopolies simply offer better products," wrote Brave in a subsequent post. "But as you can see, when consumers get a clear choice of iOS browsers, they're choosing alternatives to Safari."

"Maybe that's why Google still hasn't implemented a browser choice screen on Android," added the privacy-centric browser company.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1767643225773215918

To be eligible for consideration in the alternative browsers list, Apple notes that they must have the Default Browser Entitlement that is now available to developers and have been downloaded by "at least 5,000 users across all the EU App Store storefronts on iPhone in the prior calendar year."

Apple selects up to 11 of these for the browser choice screen in addition to Safari, updating the list once per calendar year.

Article Link: Brave Browser Reports Spike in EU Installs After iOS 17.4 DMA Changes

 

[revs]

I wonder how many are people actively choosing, or it appearing at the top of the list and people not knowing any better and tapping on it?

Would need to see stats from other browsers to really know.

 

[foobarbaz]

To those who didn't notice: The chart is misleading, because the Y axis doest start at 0. Completely needless, since a 40% jump would still look impressive without such manipulation.

 

[User 6502]

I wonder how many people use safari/webkit just because there aren’t alternatives for browser engines (outside of the EU) and how many would be more than happy to choose alternatives and would do so knowing perfectly what they were doing.

 

[rumorphobe]

Not surprising their installs increased slightly after getting free advertising from Apple.

 

[Godspeed8230]

I don't know, I am rather happy with Safari and its privacy options.
But yes, competition is a good thing.

 

[madmin]

Apple will need a lot of courage when they see this Brave wave 🌊

 

[User 6502]

To those who didn't notice: The chart is misleading, because the Y axis doest start at 0. Completely needless, since a 40% jump would still look impressive without such manipulation.

The chart is not misleading, it starts from the lowest it has on the period in exam. Starting from zero is not always the best thing to do. For example if you wan to talk about the American GDP and how it varied in the last three years it wouldn’t make sense to have a graph starting from zero as it would hide any trend and useful information.

 

[crees!]

I wonder how many people use safari/webkit just because there aren’t alternatives for browser engines (outside of the EU)

Most don’t know/understand the difference. To them it’s just a browser.

 

[Godspeed8230]

To those who didn't notice: The chart is misleading, because the Y axis doest start at 0. Completely needless, since a 40% jump would still look impressive without such manipulation.

Definitely. However, they would not have seen this jump hadn't Apple included a list of browsers, with Brave being on top. Brave and the other browsers basically get free advertising here.

 

[coredev]

The chart is a classic example of "How to lie with statistics". The scale is chosen so it looks like a huge (200%+) spike, but numbers increased by less than 50%.
The spike in downloads might also have to do with a lot of people not even being aware that the Brave browser existed before Apple put it as the first item in a list that is shown to many, many people in the EU.
IMO not at all a situation where the Brave browser developers should complain.

 

[W2u7Yw4HaD]

To those who didn't notice: The chart is misleading, because the Y axis doest start at 0. Completely needless, since a 40% jump would still look impressive without such manipulation.

I was going to say the same, FOX and others do this all the time..

 

[dsusanj]

I wonder how many are people actively choosing, or it appearing at the top of the list and people not knowing any better and tapping on it?

It’s not always at the top of the list. That list is country-based (the top 10 browsers in the country) but the order is randomised each time when shown.

 

[contacos]

The chart is a classic example of "How to lie with statistics". The scale is chosen so it looks like a huge (200%+) spike, but numbers increased by less than 50%.
The spike in downloads might also have to do with a lot of people not even being aware that the Brave browser existed before Apple put it as the first item in a list that is shown to many, many people in the EU.
IMO not at all a situation where the Brave browser developers should complain.

The list is randomised and different for each user

 

[iBluetooth]

Brave installs increased 38%, although the chart lies with the y-axis. But this will result in every one using Chrome and it will gain 95% market share.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

To those who didn't notice: The chart is misleading, because the Y axis doest start at 0. Completely needless, since a 40% jump would still look impressive without such manipulation.

Eight thousand to eleven thousand is not a significant jump. In a sea of over one billion devices that isn't even a blip.

 

[3530025]

Definitely. However, they would not have seen this jump hadn't Apple included a list of browsers, with Brave being on top. Brave and the other browsers basically get free advertising here.

The list is random. The Brave is not on always on top. At appears in random order for each user. Don't worry, it's a fair game and it proves DMA makes competition better already.

 

[j26]

A positive change for competition, and that's just from the EU.

More data like this and developers will be clamouring for worldwide change.

 

[contacos]

Eight thousand to eleven thousand is not a significant jump. In a sea of over one billion devices that isn't even a blip.

You compare it to the previous trend though? Doesn’t make sense to compare it to the total amount of devices there are.

Even if I had only 5 installs before and now I got 10, that’s still significant since it doubled.

It would actually be even more interesting to see the numbers after March 9th. I’d expect a decrease again if it was really due to the DMA changes because everyone that already upgraded the OS would have seen and made the decision to pick a browser at that point (besides new users)

 

[Godspeed8230]

The list is random. The Brave is not on always on top. At appears in random order for each user. Don't worry, it's a fair game and it proves DMA makes competition better already.

Why do you assume I am worrying? and why do you downvote? My argument still holds - there being a list made all the difference. And Brave was also on top for me.

 

[coredev]

The list is random. The Brave is not on always on top. At appears in random order for each user. Don't worry, it's a fair game and it proves DMA makes competition better already.

Still it is free advertising for other browsers, so an increase in installs is expected. It is in no way an indication that Apple stifled competition before. Not giving others free advertising is pretty normal behavior when running a business.

 

[j26]

Eight thousand to eleven thousand is not a significant jump. In a sea of over one billion devices that isn't even a blip.

That's daily installs in a limited portion of the market, maybe 100-120m.

Not a huge jump, but quantifiable all the same. If other browsers have a similar experience, cumulatively it's very significant.

 

[3530025]

Still it is free advertising for other browsers, so an increase in installs is expected. It is in no way an indication that Apple stifled competition before. Not giving others free advertising is pretty normal behavior when running a business.

Not an advertising at all. Rather an unfair competition, because Safari comes preinstalled.

Microsoft 2010 with its IE all over again.

 

[ypl]

To those who didn't notice: The chart is misleading, because the Y axis doest start at 0. Completely needless, since a 40% jump would still look impressive without such manipulation.

No it isn't. It would be without Y axis values shown.

 

[chucker23n1]

The chart is not misleading,

Yes it is. It makes it look as though installs increased 250%, when it was closer to 40%.