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Final month, Apple confirmed that iOS 17.4 would take away help for Dwelling Display screen net apps within the European Union. On the time, Apple stated this determination was on account of necessities beneath the Digital Markets Act associated to help for various browser engines on iPhone.
Apple is now strolling again that call and says it should “proceed to supply the present Dwelling Display screen net apps functionality within the EU.”
Dwelling Display screen net apps are right here to remain
Apple’s determination to take away Dwelling Display screen net apps, often known as progressive net apps or PWAs, confronted plenty of criticism. The Open Web Advocacy group, for instance, stated “total classes of apps will now not be viable on the net because of this” of the change. There have been additionally stories the EU was going to investigate the decision.
On the time, Apple defined that it must construct an “fully new integration structure that doesn’t at present exist in iOS” to handle the “complicated safety and privateness considerations related to net apps utilizing various browser engines.” This, the corporate stated, “was not sensible to undertake given the opposite calls for of the DMA and the very low consumer adoption of Dwelling Display screen net apps.”
With in the present day’s announcement, Apple has reversed course and stated that Dwelling Display screen net apps will live on as they did pre-iOS 17.4 within the European Union. “This help means Dwelling Display screen net apps proceed to be constructed instantly on WebKit and its safety structure, and align with the safety and privateness mannequin for native apps on iOS,” Apple explains in the present day.
Because of this all Dwelling Display screen net apps will nonetheless be powered by WebKit, no matter whether or not the online app is added utilizing Safari or not – precisely as it really works in the present day and has for years.
Right here is Apple’s full assertion:
Beforehand, Apple introduced plans to take away the Dwelling Display screen net apps functionality within the EU as a part of our efforts to adjust to the DMA. The necessity to take away the aptitude was knowledgeable by the complicated safety and privateness considerations related to net apps to help various browser engines that may require constructing a brand new integration structure that doesn’t at present exist in iOS.
We’ve got acquired requests to proceed to supply help for Dwelling Display screen net apps in iOS, subsequently we are going to proceed to supply the present Dwelling Display screen net apps functionality within the EU. This help means Dwelling Display screen net apps proceed to be constructed instantly on WebKit and its safety structure, and align with the safety and privateness mannequin for native apps on iOS.
Builders and customers who could have been impacted by the removing of Dwelling Display screen net apps within the beta launch of iOS within the EU can anticipate the return of the present performance for Dwelling Display screen net apps with the supply of iOS 17.4 in early March.
Apple is including this replace to its Developer website on Friday, whereas additionally protecting the preliminary clarification there out of full transparency.
9to5Mac’s Take
To me, that is an instance of the vagueness of the Digital Markets Act. Studying between the traces, it appears like Apple thought it couldn’t provide WebKit-powered Dwelling Display screen apps within the European Union due to the DMA’s tips on browser equality.
Apple clearly interpreted the rules as that means it needed to provide PWA help for various browser engines with a purpose to hold providing the function for Safari and WebKit.
Within the two weeks for the reason that preliminary announcement, and the related pushback, Apple got here to the conclusion – a method or one other – that it was mistaken. Regardless of the backstory is, I’m glad Apple listened to the suggestions and reversed course on this one.
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