Apps on your iPhone or iPad will continue to have external payment methods for you to use when purchasing in-app items. Apple was forced to make changes to its App Store policies in April this year when a US court enforced new rules, but the company soon began an appeal.

The first step in the appeals process was for a temporary pause on the changes, which the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday wouldn’t happen.

The court said, “Apple ‘bears the burden of showing that the circumstances justify an exercise of [our] discretion.’ After reviewing the relevant factors, we are not persuaded that a stay is appropriate.”

This isn’t the end of the appeals process, but it means Apple won’t be able to change its rules for the foreseeable future. Apple says it will continue to argue its case.

An Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg, “As we’ve said before, we strongly disagree with the district court’s opinion. Our goal is to ensure the App Store remains an incredible opportunity for developers and a safe and trusted experience for our users.”

The CEO of Epic Games, the company that ignited the App Store changes through a long-running court case against Apple, has celebrated how this will bring competition to the App Store. Tim Sweeney said, “May next week’s WWDC be the Apple-led celebration of freedom that developers and users have long deserved.”

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Since the changes were brought in last month, we’ve seen the return of Epic Games’ Fortnite to the App Store as well as updates to popular apps like Kindle and Spotify bringing in third-party payment methods.

The CEO of newsletter app Substack has called the changes “fantastic” for independent media. During The Information’s The Future of Influence event, CEO Chris Best said, “It just means that you’ve always been able to discover things in the Substack app, and you have options for how you charge for it now, which we think is a big win for independent media.”

Get Our Best Stories!

Love All Things Apple?

Sign up for our Weekly Apple Brief for the latest news, reviews, tips, and more delivered right to your inbox.

By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thanks for signing up!

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

About James Peckham

Reporter

I’ve written tech news for over a decade, and as a Reporter at PCMag, I cover the latest developments across the gadgets and services you use every day. Previously, I worked for Android Police, TechRadar, and more.

Read James’s full bio

Read the latest from James Peckham