Apple has walked again its determination to remove home screen web apps in 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 now have acquired requests to proceed to supply assist for House Display screen internet apps in iOS, subsequently we are going to proceed to supply the prevailing House Display screen internet apps functionality within the EU,” Apple wrote Friday in an up to date developer support document. “This assist means House Display screen internet apps proceed to be constructed immediately on WebKit and its safety structure, and align with the safety and privateness mannequin for native apps on iOS.”
Progressive web apps (PWAs) act very like native apps with options like devoted home windows, notifications and native storage. Apple eliminated them for European prospects within the second iOS 17.4 beta, as an alternative asking if customers wish to open the web site in Safari.
On the time, the corporate claimed internet app assist might compromise safety, given the DMA’s requirement to assist non-WebKit browser engines. “Addressing the advanced safety and privateness issues related to internet apps utilizing various browser engines would require constructing a completely new integration structure that doesn’t at the moment exist in iOS and was not sensible to undertake given the opposite calls for of the DMA and the very low consumer adoption of House Display screen internet apps,” the corporate wrote in February.
The Open Net Advocacy group chimed in rapidly to criticize Apple’s now-reversed transfer. “Apple has had 15 years to facilitate true browser competitors worldwide, and almost two years for the reason that DMA’s remaining textual content,” the group wrote in February. “It might have used that point to share performance it traditionally self-preferenced to Safari with different browsers. Inaction and silence speaks volumes.”
The EU didn’t sound a lot happier concerning the internet app elimination. European Fee officers said in late February they had 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 elimination.
No matter might have occurred between then and now to vary Apple’s thoughts, it’s remaining tight-lipped. As an alternative, the corporate is framing its reversal as a easy response to “requests” it acquired to proceed providing house display screen internet apps. Maybe EU officers assured the iPhone maker the corporate wouldn’t have to assist PWAs from different browser engines, or possibly the corporate merely needed to move off a proper probe (and the dangerous PR it might 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 remaining model arrives.
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