iOS 11.3 makes updating foreign apps easier than ever

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has made it easier to update apps and games purchased from foreign App Stores in iOS 11.3. Users no longer have to switch to the App Store they originally downloaded the title from, making the update process a whole lot quicker.

Some apps can only be obtained from foreign App Stores. Others are made available in select markets before a global rollout. The recent release of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds for iOS was made available in China long before it graced the West, for instance.

Prior to iOS 11.3, updating these titles was a pain. Apple forced you to switch to the foreign App Store they were obtained from, which was a lengthy and time-consuming process. Now that’s all changed.

iOS 11.3 makes updating apps easier

You are no longer required to switch App Store regions when updating foreign apps, according to MacerkopfApple allows us to update them alongside all our other apps with one tap of the “Update” button.

You may be prompted to enter your password for your foreign account, but unlike before, the App Store won’t switch regions.

“Even apps that you have bought in app stores in other countries (eg the Boon app from France, which does not exist in German stores) can now be updated without costly store change,” explains Macerkopf reader Sebastian, who noticed the change.

It’s great that Apple made this improvement, even though there probably aren’t a huge number of people out there who install foreign apps. It’s also surprising that iOS 11.3 was in beta testing for months before anyone noticed this change.

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