After criticism, Apple says iOS 17.4 won't stop supporting Home Screen web apps in the EU and they will still be built on WebKit and its security architecture
https://appleinsider.com/... Bodil / @bodil@social.treehouse.systems : Sad news today that Apple have decided not to shoot themselves in the foot to spite the EU after all. I was quite looking forward to the impact it would have on their European market share. — https://9to5mac.com/... @mysk@mastodon.social : Great news: PWAs are back in the EU, albeit only on WebKit. — Thanks a lot for everyone who echoed the concerns of many developers around the world. Your voice matters, and Apple has listened to it. — #Apple #PWA #WebApps #iOS — https://9to5mac.com/... Alex Russell / @slightlyoff@toot.cafe : Apple blinked, but that doesn't mean they aren't still working overtly and in the shadows to hold the web back. — So, SO much more to do, but this is an incredible moment and one to celebrate. Amazing work from @owa and friends: — https://open-web-advocacy.org/ ... @trezzer@social.linux.pizza : That's good news for web apps. I was worried #Apple would stay the course out of stubbornness. — https://www.macrumors.com/... Ramsey Nasser / @nasser@merveilles.town : this is good news, but it is utterly humiliating and an indictment of the entire western way of life that we must periodically grovel and beg these corporate actors when they threaten us with harm — https://open-web-advocacy.org/ ... @leighelse@mastodon.nz : Aha! With the wiff of an EU investiation, Apple has backed down. Web apps will still work as they do now in iOS and iPadOS for European users. https://open-web-advocacy.org/ ... Adrian Roselli / @aardrian@toot.cafe : Apple maybe backing down on its PWA blocks: — • https://developer.apple.com/ ... • https://9to5mac.com/... • https://open-web-advocacy.org/ ... I say “maybe” because Apple clearly wants to twist the intent of the EU ruling as much as possible and it simply needs to come up with another awful but less obvious approach. Adam Stoddard / @aaadaaam@mastodon.social : Glad to see Apple changing course here: https://9to5mac.com/... Joseph Elfelt / @mappingsupport@m.ai6yr.org : Success!! — Apple has given up and announced that in the European Union version of iOS 17.4 ‘web apps’ will be able to be installed on the homescreen and work *offline*. As the developer of the web apps FindMeSAR and GeoJPG, this is great news. — #WebApp #PWA #ProgressiveWebApp #webDev … Danilo Campos / @danilo@hachyderm.io : Apple will keep homescreen web apps. — And they'll have to use WebKit. — I think it's the right approach. What they don't want is a replay of Electron-based garbage destroying the performance and UX of the platform. — It's one thing for endless copies of chromium binaries to clog your desktop, consume all your RAM, and run down your battery … @nileane@nileane.fr : Amazing news: Apple is walking back their decision to get rid of PWA support in iOS in the EU. — https://9to5mac.com/... I can almost hear the huge sighs of relief from web developers across the continent right now X: Tim Sweeney / @timsweeneyepic : iOS web apps un-killed, web app browser engine competition re-killed in a confusing last-minute DMA shuffle. https://9to5mac.com/... Stephen Shankland / @stshank : The techno-legal engineering contortions at Apple right now in the EU is a thing to behold. Trying to kill web apps in Europe, which would have advantaged iOS, did not sit well with a lot of developers and was a bad look in front of regulators. Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : Apple has reversed its decision to remove Home Screen web apps from iOS in the EU as part of its DMA “compliance” strategy. No update on whether this means alternate browsers will also get this functionality eventually. I wonder what else they'll end up rolling back? [image] Maximiliano Firtman / @firt : BTW, after the initial reaction of the reversal decision, it's important to highlight that Apple also confirmed that alternative browsers won't be able to execute installed PWAs, even if the user installed them from that alternative browser. I'm not yet sure if that's: 1) a final Apple decision, based on a new legal idea that DMA requirements actually never applied for them, or 2) a temporary decision while they find a technical solution for the problem Michael Gartenberg / @gartenberg : “Apple is now walking back that decision and says it will “continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU."" Apple will push this to the limit & hope get eyes off their absurd 3rd party App Stores and alternate payments policy https://9to5mac.com/... Matthew Ball / @ballmatthew : @TimSweeneyEpic “You now have the freedom to remain captive in a different cell” Maximiliano Firtman / @firt : 🚨🚨🚨🚨 Apple will NOT remove PWA support on iOS 🥳🥳🥳🥳 👉This is an official statement form Apple that replaced today the previous excuses published around the removal. We did it, folks! [image] Tim Sweeney / @timsweeneyepic : Apple shouldn't be able to effectively veto competition law by saying “we'd have to write some new code in order to do what the law demands, and we can't be bothered”. Car makers aren't allowed to do that with seat belts. Miguel de Icaza / @migueldeicaza : Good news to European iPhone users, they will continue to be able to use the Starbucks PWA app on their Home Screen. Crisis averted. https://developer.apple.com/ ... Bruce Lawson / @brucel : Thank you so much to the thousands of developers who filled in our survey and signed the open letter. We are grateful for your help and no doubt will need it again - know that your voices were heard in Brussels and Cupertino, *and have made a difference*. 🙏 Maximiliano Firtman / @firt : 🇪🇺The latest on iOS 17.4 and Web platform in the EU: －Alternative browsers are now welcome －Web Apps (PWAs) will still work via the WebKit engine only Note: Unclear if any browsers have yet to meet Apple's criteria or if Apple is working to let them render PWAs in the future. @openwebadvocacy : Apple backs down on killing web apps! 🎉 But the fight goes on!✊ Read More (Link Below) [image] @mysk_co : Great news: PWAs are back in the EU, albeit only on WebKit. Thanks a lot for everyone who echoed the concerns of many developers around the world. Your voice matters, and Apple has listened to it. #Apple #PWA #WebApps #iOS https://9to5mac.com/... @mysk_co : Initially, Apple expected that removing PWAs would affect a small number of users. Today, Apple reversed course after the demands of that “small” number of users had occupied the headlines of major tech outlets. This is a lesson for everyone; never underestimate small numbers💪 [image] Cheney Tsai / @cheneytsai : The negative spin on it is that the damage is done. Businesses unfortunately will hesitate just a bit more to invest in PWA at the risk of Apple rug pulling down the road. It would be reasonable for them to make sure they invest in Apples preferred route of dedicated Mobile Apps @dhh : We're so back. https://9to5mac.com/... LinkedIn: Marc van Neerven : Exactly. We're back to where we were a month ago. Nothing more, nothing less. — 🤔 In an abusive relationship, would you be cheering when the abuser, for once, decided not to abuse you? … Scott Hanselman : Boom. Apple changes course and will keep PWAs. https://lnkd.in/... a win for the #OpenWeb but don't let them catch you slipping Forums: Hacker News : iOS 17.4 won't remove Home Screen web apps in the EU after all r/ios : Apple will NOT remove PWA support on iOS in EU r/apple : iOS 17.4 won't remove Home Screen web apps in the EU after all r/PWA : Apple backs off killing web apps, but the fight continues - Open Web Advocacy r/javascript : Apple backs off killing web apps, but the fight continues - Open Web Advocacy r/webdev : Apple backs off killing web apps, but the fight continues - Open Web Advocacy r/technology : Apple to reverse stance, and won't remove PWA apps on home screen in EU. Ars OpenForum : Apple changes course, will keep iPhone EU web apps how they are in iOS 17.4 MacRumors Forums : Apple Walks Back Decision to Disable Home Screen Web Apps in the EU