Apple ends support for PWA apps for iPhones sold in the EU – iPhone

Apple has officially ended support for Progressive Web Apps (PWA) for iPhone users located in the European Union. While these apps have been a problem for European users in all iOS 17.4 betas so far, Apple has now confirmed that this is a conscious choice, and not some kind of bug.

This is according to the update published on its website Intended for developers, Apple says it is removing relevant support for web apps from the Home screen for users in the European Union. Because bringing it in line with the provisions of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) would require a “completely new integration architecture” which was “impractical” to combine with all the other changes it had to make. One of these changes forces Apple to allow third-party browsers to use its own rendering engines on iOS.

Apple claims in its post that the affected apps tap “directly into WebKit” — the engine used by Safari — allowing them to “follow the security and privacy model of native iOS apps.” With the move to iOS 17.4, web pages added to the Home screen now simply act as bookmarks that open in a new browser tab, rather than (potentially) being standalone and capable of features like Send payment updates and display badges, a feature Apple added just last year.

pwa apps on iOS also have the ability to store data separately from the browser, which is useful if there is a web page that the user wants to access quickly without logging in each time. Some services, such as Facebook Gaming, use such apps to bypass Apple's App Store and fees charged by the company.

Now that alternative search engines are starting to roll out in EU countries, Apple claims this is a “source of risk,” stating that “malicious apps can read data from other apps and steal their permissions in order to access user information.” camera, microphone or location without prior consent.” Meanwhile, it says browsers can install apps without the user knowing — although Android devices have offered web apps with different web browsers for years.

“We estimate that this change will affect a small number of users,” Apple said in its post. “In any case, we regret any impact this change – which came as part of DMA compliance efforts – may have on app creators and our users.” Apple cites “very low user adoption” of Home screen apps as an additional reason for the lack of support.