We are still not completely sure, but quite sure, that the new iOS 17.4 features will not come to Norway. Why? Because Apple doesn't want to confirm or deny.
Apple believes too few use web apps to defend their jobs
But we can now report why Apple believes it can no longer support progressive web apps on the iPhone - as we first reported on February 8: "For iOS 17.4 beta 2 has been launched and reveals that Apple with the update makes web apps far less attractive in comparison with 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."
In fact, the reason for this is related to 17.4's opening to alternative browser engines. Apple explains that they had to build an entirely new "integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS." This is to solve the "complex security and privacy issues associated with web apps that use alternative browser engines."
Furthermore, Apple explains that this is simply not practical due to the DMA legislation, plus there are very few people who use PWA apps, according to Apple who says they had to remove support in order not to violate the DMA legislation.
"EU users can still access websites directly from the Home screen through a bookmarklet with minimal impact on their functionality," Apple claims. But there is probably something wrong here, because why can't Safari deliver full-fledged PWA support? Because all browsers must work the same way, in this case equally bad.
Here's Apple's explanation:
“To comply with the Digital Markets Act, Apple has done a huge amount of engineering to add new functionality and capabilities for developers and users in the EU – including more than 600 new APls and a wide range of developer tools. iOS has traditionally supported web apps on the home screen by building directly on WebKit and its security architecture.
The integration means home screen web apps are managed to conform to the iOS native app security and privacy model, including storage isolation and enforcement of system requests to access privacy-affecting features on a per-page basis. Without this type of isolation and enforcement, malicious web apps can read data from other web apps and reclaim their permissions to access a user's camera, microphone, or location without the user's consent. Browsers can also install web apps on the system without the user's knowledge and consent.
Addressing the complex security and privacy issues associated with web apps using alternative browser engines would require building an entirely new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS and was not practical to implement given the other requirements of the DMA and the very low user adoption of mobile screen web apps. And so, to comply with the DMA's requirements, we had to remove the web apps feature from the EU home screen. EU users will still be able to access websites directly from the home screen through a bookmarklet with minimal impact on their functionality.
We expect this change to affect a small number of users. However, we regret any impact this change – which was made as part of efforts to comply with the DMA – may have on mobile screen web app developers.”