Apple has walked again its determination to take away residence display internet apps within the European Union (EU). After initially blaming its determination to ditch them on the Digital Markets Act’s (DMA) requirement to assist non-WebKit browsers, Apple now says European customers will return to having fun with the identical internet app expertise from earlier than when iOS 17.4 arrives early this month.
“We have received requests to continue to offer support for Home Screen web apps in iOS, therefore we will continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU,” Apple wrote Friday in an up to date developer assist doc. “This support means Home Screen web apps continue to be built directly on WebKit and its security architecture, and align with the security and privacy model for native apps on iOS.”
Progressive internet apps (PWAs) act very like native apps with options like devoted home windows, notifications and native storage. Apple eliminated them for European clients within the second iOS 17.4 beta, as an alternative asking if customers need to open the web site in Safari.
On the time, the corporate claimed internet app assist may compromise safety, given the DMA’s requirement to assist non-WebKit browser engines. “Addressing the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps using alternative browser engines would require building an entirely new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS and was not practical to undertake given the other demands of the DMA and the very low user adoption of Home Screen web apps,” the corporate wrote in February.
The Open Net Advocacy group chimed in shortly to criticize Apple’s now-reversed transfer. “Apple has had 15 years to facilitate true browser competition worldwide, and nearly two years since the DMA’s final text,” the group wrote in February. “It could have used that time to share functionality it historically self-preferenced to Safari with other browsers. Inaction and silence speaks volumes.”
The EU didn’t sound a lot happier concerning the internet app removing. European Fee officers stated in late February they have been probing Apple’s determination in what sounded just like the build-up to a proper investigation. The Monetary Occasions reported that regulators despatched builders questions concerning the influence of Apple’s PWA removing.
No matter could have occurred between then and now to alter Apple’s thoughts, it’s remaining tight-lipped. As an alternative, the corporate is framing its reversal as a easy response to “requests” it obtained to proceed providing residence display internet apps. Maybe EU officers assured the iPhone maker the corporate wouldn’t must assist PWAs from different browser engines, or possibly the corporate merely needed to move off a proper probe (and the unhealthy PR it may generate). Regardless, solely European iOS 17.4 beta customers are with out internet apps, and so they’ll have them again as soon as the software program’s closing model arrives.