When some European users installed the iOS 17.4 beta, they noticed that the progressive web apps no longer function, they thought it was a bug. Turns out, this is a deliberate decision on Apple’s part, which the company detailed on its Developer website.
Apple will drop support for progressive web apps in the European Union pointing to the Bloc’s Digital Markets Act as the reason.
So what are progressive web apps – these are websites you can add as a shortcut to your homescreen as an app but with added functionality like the ability to send you notifications, offer notification badges, and keep your sign-in info. They’re based on Safari’s WebKit engine. The issue lies with the EU’s DMA’s requirement that Apple allow third-party browsers to use their own engines on iOS, which would in turn mean these progressive web apps could be based on any of those, instead of WebKit.
Apple says that making web apps comply with the EU’s DMA involves a lot of work that’s not practical to undertake, given web apps’ low user adoption. Apple also cites security concerns with progressive web apps based on alternative browser engines, noting that malicious apps could read data, recapture permissions, and gain access to a user’s camera, microphone, or location without their knowledge.
So when iOS 17.4 lands to the general public in March, users based in the European Union won’t get progressive web apps anymore but rather the option to just add basic browser bookmarks on their home screens, which will open as a new tab in their respective browser. They won’t keep login data, nor be able to send notifications.
Apple also couldn’t have kept progressive web apps as a Safari-only option on EU users’ iPhones because the DMA requires all browsers to have equality.
