© Lance Ulanoff / Future
© Lance Ulanoff / Future
© Future / Lance Ulanoff
© Philip Berne / Future
© Future / Apple
© Future / Lance Ulanoff
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 84, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, so psyched you found us, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This week, I've been reading about Mubi and Around The Horn and millennial tech, moving all my journals to Diarly, trying out Matt D'Avella's workout routine, catching up on Clarkson's Farm, wishing desperately that Philly Justice was a real show, watching a lot of Helper Cars with my toddler, testing the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, dusting off my Fortnite skills, and enjoying this unbelievably deep dive into the first Star Wars movie.
I also have for you a new blockbuster movie, an old-new blockbuster mobile game, a new season of one of my all-time favorite shows, a cheap set-top box worth a look, and much more. Shockingly busy week! Let's dig in.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you playing / reading / listening to / watching / plugging into things / poking with a stick this week? Tell me everything: [email protected]. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, tell them to subscribe here. Subscri …
© Future / Lance Ulanoff
Fortnite maker Epic Games has announced that Apple has blocked the game’s return to iOS. Following the rejection, Fortnite is no longer available on iPhones and iPads even in the European Union, where it had previously been available to download through the Epic Games Store.
“Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union,” the company posted on the official Fortnite X account. “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”
The Verge has confirmed that the game is no longer available to download on iOS from the Epic Games Store or the alternative marketplace AltStore PAL in the EU, where it had previously been available.
However, according to Apple, that isn’t its doing.
“We asked that Epic Sweden resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies,” Apple spokesperson Olivia Dalton tells The Verge. “We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces.”
Fortnite returned to iOS in the EU last year, but only through those two storefronts, and not Apple’s App Store. The return was made possible by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which required Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS.
Epic had resubmitted Fortnite to the US App Store this month following a recent ruling in Epic’s lawsuit against Apple. That ruling prohibited Apple from restricting developers’ ability to link to external payment systems, one of the issues that had started their long-running legal battle. Epic was forced to use its Swedish developer account to resubmit the game, as its US account was terminated in 2020 when it first broke Apple’s rules by introducing its own in-app payments to the game.
This week Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced that the company had pulled its previous Fortnite submission and submitted a new version that included an update due to release today, noting that “all platforms must update simultaneously.” He’s since taken to X repeatedly to complain that unofficial Fortnite knock-offs have been allowed into the App Store while Fortnite hasn’t, claiming that Apple’s app review process has been “weaponized by senior management.”
Update, May 16th: Added comment from Apple.
Apple is known for prioritizing privacy and security, but there are additional measures you can turn to if you feel you need them. iPhones, iPads, and Macs have what's known as a Lockdown Mode that takes protecting your data to a whole new level.
It's clear that this isn't for everyone: Apple describes it as being for those who feel they might be attacked by "the most sophisticated threats." Think journalists working in dangerous regions, activists under threat from surveillance or censorship, or politicians with access to top secret information.
Anyone can turn it on and off as needed - you don't need any special status or any particular kind of Apple account. It only takes a few taps or clicks, and you'll have the highest level of security protection that Apple offers.
It's worth bearing in mind that there are some tradeoffs when using Lockdown Mode. The software you use will be limited in some of its functionality to give would-be hackers fewer ways to get at you and your data.
You'll find most attachments in Messages blocked, while FaceTime calls are only permitted with people you've had contact with in the last month. In Photos, you can't c …
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