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After more than a month in Limbo, Uniswap’s smartphone app received a full launch after receiving App Store approval from Apple on Thursday, April 13th. The application was initially unveiled on March 3rd, though it was at the time available only to about 10,000 users in TestFlight as the tech giant refused to greenlight it without offering much explanation.
Uniswap iOS App Released From “Apple Jail”
This Thursday, Uniswap Labs announced that their mobile phone wallet has finally been released from “Apple jail”. The iOS made a debut already on March 3rd, but with a very limited user base as it was only available through TesFlight due to a lack of Apple’s approval. According to Uniswap, the self-custodial wallet aims to offer greater security to its users while also offering a number of useful features:
You need a self custodial wallet to do just about anything onchain — swap tokens, buy NFTs, purchase crypto, or use apps. Self-custody makes DeFi safer and ensures your crypto can’t be misused by a centralized party. But too many people get stuck at the starting line. We get thousands of user support tickets from Uniswap Web App users confused by wallets. So, we’re proud to bring you a self-custodial wallet that is simple, safe, and easy to use.
Uniswap, however, pointed out that the release is not yet fully global, but promised that it will continue the list of countries where the wallet is currently available for download. The platform also notified customers that were using the TestFlight version of the application that the information they entered into it will automatically migrate to the current live wallet.
The Tension Between Smartphones and Web3 Apps
There has been some tension between the world of smartphones, and Web3 developers and applications over the previous months. Apple in particular has been at the center of attention as it had not only blocked Uniswap’s new self-custody wallet for over a month, but it had also, already in late 2022, prevented an update to Coinbase’s app rendering its users unable to trade NFTs.
The issue was reportedly caused by Apple’s insistence on, in line with its broader policy, taking a 30% cut from all gas fees. The emergence of web3, the tension with the existing tech companies, and the near-absolute proliferation of smartphones caused some developers to take a more hardware-orientated approach. Already in 2022, Solana revealed it is developing a “web3-friendly” mobile phone called Saga which is scheduled to go on sale in May.
Some blockchain companies have, seemingly, decided to abandon both iOS and Android of their own volition. The NFT platform Magic Eden announced in early March that its app will no longer be supported on smartphone operating systems but promised that the change of focus will lead to improvements elsewhere. So far, the non-fungible token marketplace has, arguably, delivered on the promise as it unveiled its expansion to both Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains.
Do you plan on using Uniswap’s smartphone wallet now that it is live on the App Store? Let us know in the comments below.