iPhones are slick little pieces of hardware, no matter which way you cut it. They’re fast, snazzy and have some of the best hardware on the market. Yet what super duper sucks about having an iPhone is when you’re shoehorned into using all their software even though you might prefer something a little more…not Apple. For years now, Apple has dictated what apps iPhone users can have set as their defaults, including Safari as the browser which automatically opens links sent through other apps. So it’s come as a big relief to users (and competitors) that following a soon-to-be-implemented update, iPhone users will be able to actually set their own default apps.

The implementation of this features comes after years of users and developers accusing Apple of abusing their monopoly on the software included on iPhones. After the update goes live, you’ll no longer be forced into opening links through Safari or Apple’s proprietary email app. Instead, you can set Google Chrome and Gmail to complete those tasks, a massive leg up to one of Apple’s main competitors.

The only catch, and it’s not really a big one, is that Apple will still require all iOS browsers to be built using the company’s own “rendering engine”, a procedure that will see the apps formatted to run more efficiently on Apple hardware. Still, that’s not something you as a consumer have to worry about.

This update will also allow app developers to appeal guidelines in Apple’s terms and conditions contract that might see their apps removed or banned from the App Store, a process that has been request by plenty of folks for a long time now. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s nice to see Apple finally implementing such a necessary feature.

(Source: The Guardian)