Recently, an iPhone user in Australia discovered a way to activate EU-specific features on their device that are normally reserved for EU regions due to the Tao Market Law. This law requires Apple to allow users in the EU to download apps from third-party stores and use web browsers other than Safari. In contrast, these changes are not yet available to users outside the EU region.
To access these features on their device, the user, Adam Demasi, had to change various device settings, including the region, Apple ID, and Wi-Fi network, to trick the iPhone into thinking it was located in the EU. Demasi has noted that this process is complex, unstable, and may violate Apple’s terms of service.
This method relies on a new plist file downloaded by Apple to determine the iPhone’s location and decide which features will be available. The plist file contains a list of “domains” and individual features that are locked by region. The latest version of this file was updated on 5.4 when iOS 17.4 was released, just before the DMA came into effect.
While the process of ‘fooling’ the iPhone appears to work, it poses several risks and may violate Apple’s terms of service. Moreover, Apple may block this method in the future. Therefore, it is not recommended to use this method to access EU-specific features on an iPhone.