Apple reverses decision to kill home screen web apps in the EU (2024)
Good news, iOS users in the EU!
Apple has announced that it's reversing its previously announced decision to no longer support home screen web apps, also known as Progressive Web Apps (PWA), on the iPhone. As of Friday, March 1, 2024, EU users will continue to be able to install and use home screen web apps on iOS going forward.
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The home screen web app feature allows users to install certain websites as standalone apps on their iOS devices. This allows users to have quick access to websites, as well as other app functionalities, that may not have an iOS application.
Certain developers and users in the EU who had installed the most recent beta version of iOS were surprised to find that it removed home screen web app capabilities. But they can soon expect an update which restores the feature on their devices. Apple says iOS 17.4, which will be released in early march, will return the functionality to those users.
Why did Apple remove home screen web apps in the EU to begin with?
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a new EU regulation that requires companies like Apple to open up their core platforms in order to spur competition in markets where big tech has overwhelming power and influence.
For example, under the DMA, Apple has been forced to allow alternative marketplaces to compete with the App Store when it comes to distributing apps on the iPhone.
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Apple is currently preparing for the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to officially go into effect in the EU this month. Along with the required App Store change, Apple has made other tweaks as mandated by the DMA. However, Apple's interpretation of these new regulations has resulted in the company making controversial decisions which have sparked criticism from other big tech companies.
Meta, Microsoft, Spotify, and others have blasted Apple for its DMA-inspired app distribution scheme. For instance, developers balked when they learned that they may actually end up having to pay Apple more to put their app in an alternative marketplace than they would have if they just continued to operate within the official App Store.
Microsoft and Meta have both lobbied to the EU to take action against Apple's new policies, arguing that Apple's "malicious compliance" does not uphold the actual intent of the DMA regulations.
When it comes to home screen web apps, Apple previously claimed that the DMA would force Apple to alter its home screen web app rules as well. The company said that due to vulnerabilities and potential malicious uses, it was going to kill off the feature.
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"Previously, Apple announced plans to remove the Home Screen web apps capability in the EU as part of our efforts to comply with the DMA," Apple said in their new statement regarding the reversal of their decision to discontinue PWAs on iOS. "The need to remove the capability was informed by the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps to support alternative browser engines that would require building a new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS."
"We have received requests to continue to offer support for Home Screen web apps in iOS, therefore we will continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU," the statement from Apple continued. "This support means Home Screen web apps continue to be built directly on WebKit and its security architecture, and align with the security and privacy model for native apps on iOS."
Apple's recent response is remarkable as the company previously stated that its decision to just remove home screen web apps was because it had "very low user adoption." Apparently, the blowback was significant enough for the company to reconsider.
So, Apple has officially reversed course on one unpopular decision that it once claimed was necessary due to the new EU regulations. Time will tell if Apple will decide – or be forced — change its unpopular alternative marketplace policies too.
Essentially, Apple has to support third-party browser engines
browser engines
A browser engine (also known as a layout engine or rendering engine) is a core software component of every major web browser. The primary job of a browser engine is to transform HTML documents and other resources of a web page into an interactive visual representation on a user's device.
in the EU, the biz didn't want PWAs to use those non-WebKit engines, and so it chose to just banish the web apps from its Home Screen. Now it's changed its mind and allowed the apps to stay albeit using WebKit.
Apple has reversed its decision to block Home Screen web apps in the EU. The decision came after receiving numerous requests for Progressive Web App (PWA) support, leading to an update on its developer page.
One byproduct of these changes, however, is that iOS 17.4 removes support for Home Screen web apps in the EU. Apple has now offered an explanation for this decision, confirming that the omission was not a bug. Instead, it's because of requirements under the Digital Markets Act.
And so, to comply with the DMA's requirements, we had to remove the Home Screen web apps feature in the EU. EU users will be able to continue accessing websites directly from their Home Screen through a bookmark with minimal impact to their functionality.
Europe's top court ruled against Apple on Tuesday in the tech giant's 10-year court battle over its tax affairs in Ireland. The case stems back to 2016 when the European Commission ordered Ireland to recover up to 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in back taxes from Apple.
Safari blocks access to sites that have been reported for malware or phishing. Geo-restrictions occur when you try to access web content from a location where it isn't available or hasn't been released yet. To unblock websites on Safari for Mac, you can use the following approaches: Using VPN service.
Go to Privacy settings to see a list of apps that requested to track your activity. On iPhone, iPad or iPod touch: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security* > Tracking. ...
Tap to turn off or turn on permission to track for a specific app.
At the time, Apple said this decision was due to requirements under the Digital Markets Act related to support for alternative browser engines on iPhone. Apple is now walking back that decision and says it will “continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU.”
A web app is an app built for the web that you can access on any device. You can use web apps to have a website work as an app and access it on your computer or mobile devices through the launcher or home screen.
Apple has been ordered to pay Ireland €13bn (£11bn; $14bn) in unpaid taxes by Europe's top court, putting an end to an eight-year row. The European Commission accused Ireland of giving Apple illegal tax advantages in 2016, but Ireland has consistently argued against the need for the tax to be paid.
In a recent turn of events, Apple has announced an update reversing their decision to remove Home Screen web apps, also known as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), in the European Union. This decision comes in response to feedback from users and the development community, requesting continued support.
With iOS 17.4, Apple introduces sweeping changes to the way the App Store and apps function in the European Union, paving the way for alternative app marketplaces on iPhone, alternative payment systems on iOS and iPadOS, third-party browser engine support, and NFC access for banks and third-party payment providers.
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, said it approved the commitments that Apple offered earlier this year and will make them legally binding. Regulators had accused Apple in 2022 of abusing its dominant position by limiting access to its mobile payment technology.
Apple has reached a $490 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit that alleged Chief Executive Tim Cook defrauded shareholders by concealing falling demand for iPhones in China.
The DOJ and 16 state and district attorneys general claimed in their March lawsuit that Apple has illegally monopolized the US smartphone market. The government claimed Apple broke the law by maintaining a closed ecosystem for the iPhone in pursuit of profits and at the expense of consumers and innovation.
In an update to its developer website spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple says it's removing homescreen apps for users in the EU because bringing them into compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) would involve “an entirely new integration architecture” that's “not practical” to build on top of the other changes it's been ...
Apple has announced that it's reversing its previously announced decision to no longer support home screen web apps, also known as Progressive Web Apps (PWA), on the iPhone. As of Friday, March 1, 2024, EU users will continue to be able to install and use home screen web apps on iOS going forward.
Apple has unveiled major changes to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 in the E.U. as part of its ongoing efforts to comply with the Digital Markets Act. European users will have more control over default apps, browser choice, and even the ability to remove long-standing pre-installed apps like Safari.
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