How the DMA Changed Which Apps Can Be Default on Your Child’s Phone
What Is the Digital Markets Act?
The Digital Markets Act, commonly known as the DMA, is a law passed by the European Union that came into full effect in March 2024. Its main goal is to make digital markets fairer and more open. Before this law, a small number of large tech companies had enormous control over which apps and services people used on their devices. The DMA was designed to break down those walls and give users more freedom to choose.
The law targets what it calls “gatekeepers” — large technology companies that control key digital platforms. These include companies like Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. Under the DMA, these companies must follow strict rules about how they operate their platforms, including how apps are set as defaults on devices.
How App Defaults Worked Before the DMA
Before the DMA came into effect, the default apps on most smartphones were chosen almost entirely by the device manufacturer or the operating system provider. When you bought an iPhone, for example, Safari was your default browser and Apple Maps was your default navigation app. On Android devices, Google Chrome and Google Maps were typically pre-set.
Changing these defaults was often complicated. Many users, especially younger ones, never bothered to change them. This meant that the big tech companies benefited from a huge amount of traffic and usage simply because their apps were set as the starting point. This gave them a major advantage over smaller, competing apps that offered similar or even better services.
What Changed Under the DMA?
The DMA introduced a requirement that forces major platform operators to offer users a clear and easy choice when setting up their devices. Instead of automatically loading a pre-selected default browser, search engine, or messaging app, users — including parents setting up devices for their children — are now presented with a choice screen.
This choice screen must show a range of competing apps in a fair and unbiased way. Companies are not allowed to place their own apps at the top of the list or make competing options harder to find. The rules specifically apply to several categories of apps, including:
- Web browsers
- Search engines
- Virtual assistants
- Messaging apps
- Social media platforms
What This Means for Your Child’s Device
For parents in the EU, this change has a real and practical impact. When setting up a new phone or tablet for your child, you will now be asked to actively choose which browser, search engine, or messaging app should be the default. You are no longer stuck with whatever the manufacturer decided was best.
This gives parents more control over their child’s digital environment. For example, you could choose a child-safe browser as the default instead of a general-purpose one. You could pick a search engine that filters inappropriate content rather than defaulting to one that does not have those safeguards built in by default.
It also means that when your child eventually uses or manages their own device, they will be guided to make their own informed choice rather than simply inheriting whatever defaults were baked into the system.
Which Devices and Apps Are Affected?
The DMA applies to devices sold and used within the European Union. If you live in the EU and your child has a smartphone or tablet running iOS or Android, the rules apply to both platforms. Apple and Google, as major gatekeepers, are required to comply with the DMA’s app default requirements.
It is worth noting that the DMA does not cover every single app category. It focuses on the core platform services that have the biggest impact on how people use their devices every day. Here is a breakdown of what is and is not covered:
- Covered: Browsers, search engines, messaging apps, social networks, virtual assistants, and operating systems
- Not covered: Niche or specialist apps that do not fall under the category of core platform services
Why This Matters for Children in Particular
Children are often more vulnerable to the influence of default settings than adults. Research has shown that most people, regardless of age, tend to stick with whatever option is presented to them first. For children, who may not know that alternatives exist, this effect is even stronger.
By requiring a fair choice screen, the DMA helps ensure that children are not automatically funneled into using one company’s products simply because those products came pre-installed. This matters for several reasons:
- Privacy: Some browsers and search engines collect more user data than others. Parents can now more easily choose options that are more privacy-friendly for their children.
- Safety: There are browsers and search engines specifically designed with child safety features. The DMA makes it easier to set these as the default.
- Digital literacy: When children grow up seeing that there are choices to be made about the tools they use online, they develop a healthier and more critical relationship with technology.
How Tech Companies Have Responded
Major tech companies were required to comply with the DMA by March 2024. Apple and Google both made changes to their operating systems to display choice screens for users in the EU. These changes rolled out through software updates.
Apple, in particular, made significant changes to how iOS works in the EU. The company introduced browser choice screens and even allowed the installation of apps from sources outside its App Store — something that was previously not permitted anywhere in the world. Google similarly updated Android to ensure that users are shown a fair selection of search engine and browser options during device setup.
However, not everyone has been satisfied with how these companies have implemented the rules. EU regulators have been watching closely and have the power to issue heavy fines to companies that do not comply in a genuine way. Fines can reach up to 10 percent of a company’s global annual turnover, rising to 20 percent for repeat violations.
Does the DMA Apply Outside the EU?
The DMA is an EU law, so it officially applies only within the European Union. However, its effects have been felt more broadly. Because many tech companies operate globally, some of the changes they made to comply with the DMA have influenced how their products work in other regions as well.
Countries outside the EU, including the United Kingdom and various nations in Asia and North America, have been watching the DMA closely. Some are developing similar laws of their own. This means that even if you do not live in the EU, the ideas behind the DMA may eventually shape device regulation in your country too.
Tips for Parents Navigating App Defaults
Whether you live in the EU or elsewhere, understanding app defaults is an important part of managing your child’s digital life. Here are some practical steps you can take:
- Review default settings during setup: When setting up a new device for your child, take the time to go through all the default app options rather than accepting whatever is pre-selected.
- Research child-friendly alternatives: Look into browsers, search engines, and messaging apps that are designed with children in mind. Many of these options include content filters and parental controls.
- Revisit defaults regularly: As your child grows and their needs change, what works as a default app today may not be the best choice in a year or two.
- Talk to your child about choices: Help your child understand that the apps they use are not fixed. Teaching them that they have choices, and how to evaluate those choices, is a valuable life skill.
- Stay informed about new laws: Device regulation is changing quickly in many countries. Keeping up with developments in EU law and similar rules in your region will help you stay ahead of changes that affect your family.
The Bigger Picture
The DMA represents a significant shift in how governments are thinking about the power of large technology companies. For a long time, decisions about which apps were set as defaults were made behind closed doors, with little input from ordinary users. The DMA forces those decisions into the open and puts more power in the hands of the people actually using the devices.
For parents, this is a meaningful change. It means that the digital tools your child uses every day are no longer simply a reflection of a tech company’s business interests. Instead, they can be a reflection of what you, as a parent, actually want for your child.
As EU law continues to evolve and other countries consider similar measures, the conversation around app defaults and device regulation is only going to grow. Understanding the basics of the Digital Markets Act is a good place to start.
