Apple gives, Apple takes.
Gains alternative app stores, loses web apps
After Apple finally revealed the EU countries, and probably only complete EU members and not Norway (strangely enough, we still have not received confirmation or denial of this from Apple in Norway), access to alternative app stores and therefore also apps can be installed outside of the company's own app store, they are now taking a strange move that is more reminiscent of revenge against the EU than anything else.
For iOS 17.4 beta 2 has been launched and reveals that Apple with the update makes web apps far less attractive compared to full-fledged apps. Among other things, web apps do not open in their own full-fledged window that can take advantage of the entire screen - instead, they open in a Safari window. In other words, what should be dynamic "apps" now have nothing more than browser shortcuts.
But why?
Also, iOS 17.4 beta 2 asks the user if they want to open the website service in Safari or to open it in the default browser. If web apps are opened in Safari, the page is opened as a bookmark. Therefore, options such as notifications and local storage are also missing.
"Users have seen issues with existing web apps, such as data loss since the Safari version no longer has access to local data, as well as broken notifications," reports MacRumors. The hope is that, because iOS 17.4 allows EU users to use browsers with their own engine, another browser can facilitate PWAs (“Progressive Web Apps”) again.
We guess, but do not know, that the EU will react. Apple's response will then perhaps be that users can choose an alternative browser. We reserve the right that things may change in future beta versions.