Apple backpedals on decision to kill Home Screen web apps in EU

With all the changes coming to iOS 17.4, many of which were mandated by the European Union's (EU) Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple announced Home Screen web apps would no longer be supported. The company has now walked that decision back, meaning Home Screen web apps will remain in iOS 17.4.

In a statement posted on its developer page under the section titled "Why don't users in the EU have access to Home Screen web apps?", Apple stated that after receiving requests to keep Home Screen web apps in iOS, it reversed the earlier decision to nix the feature:

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. 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.

Home Screen web apps act as shortcuts to websites that can be added directly to the iOS Home Screen. As of iOS 17, these web apps can also send notifications and display notification badges just like a standalone app. 

Apple originally claimed that Home Screen web apps wouldn't be supported on iOS due to the requirement to allow different web browser engines on the platform. Web apps are built in and run on Apple's WebKit engine. The company claimed that allowing other browser engines on iOS would compromise the security of web apps and allow "malicious web apps" to "read data from other web apps and recapture their permissions to gain access to a user’s camera, microphone or location without a user’s consent." 

Apple also expressed concern about different browsers installing web apps without the iOS user's knowledge or consent, prompting the company to kill the feature. 

Now Apple has reversed course. However, web apps will still have to be built in WebKit and "align with the security and privacy model for native apps on iOS," according to Apple. Essentially, nothing will change with regard to Home Screen web apps thanks to this backpedal.

Apple also mentioned developers and users that had the feature removed in a beta version of iOS:

Developers and users who may have been impacted by the removal of Home Screen web apps in the beta release of iOS in the EU can expect the return of the existing functionality for Home Screen web apps with the availability of iOS 17.4 in early March. 

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