Posted by Apple has blocked the UTM SE app from its App Store, stating that a PC is not a console, which led to its rejection by the Apple App Store Review Board. UTM is an app that enables virtual machines to run on iOS, supporting Windows, Linux, and other OSes with x86-64, ARM64, and RISC-V processor emulation. Due to Apple’s disapproval of JIT (Just-In-Time compilation), the UTM team submitted a slower, non-JIT version called UTM SE.
Although Apple recently began permitting emulators on the App Store, this allowance only applies to retro console emulators. Consequently, the UTM SE app does not meet this criterion, despite the abundance of old DOS and Windows games. The UTM team described the SE version as a “subpar experience” in a tweet, indicating that it is not worth pursuing further due to its sluggish performance without JIT.
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Apple’s decision not only blocks the app from its own store but also prevents its distribution through third-party app stores. UTM originally worked via sideloading (for iOS 11-13, requiring a $99/year developer account) or jailbreaking (iOS 14). The SE version was intended to offer a simpler installation process, but this will not materialize under current conditions.
The European Commission is already investigating Apple’s revised app store rules for compliance with the Digital Markets Act, and this incident adds complexity to the ongoing scrutiny.