Apple has announced legal measures to modify iOS itself for Japan and set 17 March 2026 as the deadline for consenting to the licence agreement. The announcement was published on 17 December 2025, and the deadline has now passed.
As part of changes to Japan's regulated smartphone platform framework, Apple issued an announcement titled "Changes to iOS in Japan" and specified that developers must consent by 17 March 2026. The changes are stated to apply from iOS 26.2, with the Japan Fair Trade Commission's Smartphone Act cited as the legal basis.
This is a platform-level change concerning the operating system itself, rather than a change to store policies, and is notable in that consent to the licence agreement is presented as a condition. Although it is positioned similarly to the announcement for Brazil, the changes are proceeding under separate deadlines for each country.
Many developers are said to have already completed the consent process, limiting the practical impact. The deadline for the Japan-specific changes has passed, and it is unclear whether they will apply to dormant accounts or whether further details will be added.
Viewed alongside the timelines for Japan and Brazil, the publication and effective dates differ, but both involve platform changes under a licence agreement in the format "Changes to iOS in [country]".