Apple has reversed its decision to restrict the functionality of home screen web apps in Europe following an outcry from the developer community and the prospect of further investigation.
“Due to our receipt of requests to continue offering support for Home Screen Web Apps on iOS, we will continue to offer existing Home Screen Web App functionality in the EU,” the iPhone giant said in an update to its developer documentation on Friday. .
“This support means that home screen web apps will continue to be built directly on WebKit and its security architecture and fit into the security and privacy model of native apps on iOS.”
Apple said that support for the Home Screen web app will return with the general availability of iOS 17.4, which is currently in beta testing and will be released in the coming days.
Due to the European Digital Markets Act compliance deadline of March 6, 2024, Mac has announced that home screen web apps (also known as progressive web apps (PWA)) will be phased out on iOS devices in European Union member countries. The Giants’ decision came as a surprise last month. (DMA) is approaching.
The DMA consists of a set of rules aimed at increasing competition in European markets that have been dominated by big technology companies. Last September, the European Commission appointed gatekeepers to six companies – Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft – and required them to take action against their rivals.
Apple announced in January that it would make several changes to its iOS operating system to comply with the law. These include: Allowing third-party app stores. Give third-party developers access to NFC hardware for contactless payment applications. Supports third party browser engines as an alternative to Safari’s WebKit.
Last month, it was revealed that Apple would be imposing costs for concessions in the second beta release of iOS 17.4. “In order to comply with DMA requirements, we had to remove the home screen web app functionality in the EU,” said an iCloud enthusiast.
Essentially, Apple needed to support third-party browser engines in the EU, and the industry didn’t want PWAs to use these non-WebKit engines, so they chose to keep web apps off the home screen. Did. We’ve now changed our minds and allowed our apps to survive using WebKit.
Attempt to crush Cupertino’s PWA [is] Shocking attempt to stop the web from emerging as a real threat
For those who don’t know: Home screen web app functionality refers to a feature provided to progressive web apps that allows them to behave and appear like native iOS apps. This allows your web app or website to open from your iOS device and take up the entire screen like a native app, instead of loading inside a browser window. These seemingly minor interface changes often have a big impact on app usage and user perception.
When the Home Screen web app is removed from iOS, other features are also lost. As Alex Russell, partner product manager for Microsoft Edge and a longtime advocate of web technology since his days at Google, pointed out last week, Apple’s demotion of home screen web apps has meant that settings consolidation, browser storage, and push notifications have become more important. , icon his badge, share destroyed. -to-PWA, app shortcuts, and device APIs.
“Cupertino’s attempt to destroy PWAs under cover of confusion looks like just that: a shocking attempt to stop the web.” Until now “It has emerged as a real threat to the App Store, with regulators blaming Apple’s own bad choices,” Russell wrote.
Open Web Advocacy (OWA), a lobby group for web developers, criticized Apple’s earlier decision, citing concerns from its members that the change would break web applications. The group also sent an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook urging him to reconsider. “Apple’s proposed changes violate Article 13 of the DMA, which prohibits circumvention by designated gatekeepers,” the letter said.
OWA acknowledged both the vocal outcry from developers and the regulator’s reported decision to launch an investigation into Apple’s abandonment of support for home screen web apps in response to Apple’s change in attitude.
Apple must continue to enable web apps to take advantage of other browsers and their engines, and we will continue to push to make that happen.
OWA welcomed Apple’s concession, but continues to insist that US companies need to support a level playing field for web apps.
“This simply returns us to the status quo before Apple’s plan to disrupt EU-facing web apps,” the group said. “Apple’s decade-long suppression of the web in favor of the App Store continues around the world, and their attempt to destroy his web apps within the EU is just their latest attempt.
“If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Apple’s true fears about a secure, open, and interoperable alternative to its own App Store, which it cannot control or tax, are thoroughly exposed. That means it was done.”
How will the euro watchdog respond to DMA’s requirement that Apple support alternative browsers (and browser engines) and Apple’s controversial claim that it can only support home screen web apps that use Safari’s WebKit engine? It remains to be seen whether it will be harmonized with the
“Apple is not known for retreating, so clearly their lawyers must have deemed the position unstable,” OWA said in a statement. register.
“While this is a victory in which a plan to disrupt web apps within the EU has been thwarted, the fight continues to ensure that other browsers can compete fairly on iOS, including by strengthening web apps. .This just brings us back to the status quo.” 1 month ago. Apple still needs to allow web apps to work with other browsers and their engines, and we’ll continue to push to make sure that happens. ” ®
