Apple officially Removes Support: Upon installing the iOS 17.4 beta, several European users observed that progressive web apps ceased to function, initially assuming it was a bug. However, it has come to light that this change is intentional, as elucidated by Apple on its Developer website. Apple has decided to discontinue support for progressive web apps in the European Union, citing the Digital Markets Act of the bloc as the underlying rationale for this decision.
Progressive web apps (PWAs) are essentially websites that offer enhanced functionalities typically associated with native mobile applications. Users can add these PWAs to their device’s home screen for easy access, allowing features such as push notifications, notification badges, and saved sign-in information. Typically, PWAs are built on Safari’s WebKit engine.
However, a challenge arises with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates that Apple allow third-party browsers to utilize their engines on iOS devices. This would enable PWAs to be based on different browser engines rather than just WebKit.
Apple argues that complying with the DMA requirements would entail significant effort, especially considering the relatively low adoption rate of PWAs among users. Additionally, there are security concerns associated with PWAs based on alternative browser engines. Apple highlights potential risks such as unauthorized access to sensitive data, permissions, and device features like the camera, microphone, or location.
As a result, when iOS 17.4 is released to the general public in March, users in the European Union may no longer have access to PWAs. Instead, they will have the option to add basic browser bookmarks to their home screens. These bookmarks would open as new tabs within their respective browsers and won’t retain login credentials or support notifications.
In Conclusion, 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.