Apple Shares Requirements for Default Third-Party Browser and Email Apps With Developers

[Treq]

I'm sure people have their reasons for wanting apps other than the default, but for the life of me I can't think of anything that could make me prefer other options. What do other mail apps do that mail can't, and do you really use email that much that it is important to have a different app? Genuinely curious. I don't use email in my job very often and safari takes me to the pages I want to read without any fuss. Even keeps my bookmarks synced with my Mac. What else does it need to do? Are there features I'm missing out on by using the default apps?

 

[Wanted797]

Does all actually sounds very reasonable to me.
Also, am I the only one who’s had to explain time and time again to family members that the Google search app is not a web browser?

You are defiantly not the only one. So many people do that.

 

[Wanted797]

While I appreciate this, it's still disappointing that they are not allowing music and map app defaults to be changed. Baby steps I suppose.

I doubt that will happen given Apple investment in Apple Music.

I’m unsure though why you’d need to change it? You can really only open music 2 ways. Tap on the app or ask Siri and Siri allows you to ask to play via Spotify?

 

[DeepIn2U]

Craig has said “baby steps” in not so many words. He said they plan to open up more areas.

Understandably so ... I somehow, just don't believe Google is going to properly and always follow these guidelines (be it with Chrome or any other product+service they roll out on iOS). This is judging from their issues listed and documented and caught over the years; searchable on the internet.

I'm certain if one of these apps screws up and continually does so Apple will restrict them from participating and should public shame them for continued negligence.

 

[FightTheFuture]

What do other mail apps do that mail can't, and do you really use email that much that it is important to have a different app? Genuinely curious. I don't use email in my job very often and safari takes me to the pages I want to read without any fuss.

Gmail blocks push email on other mail apps still doesn't it? If that's not the case, I would be glad to dump the Gmail app from my phone.

I’m unsure though why you’d need to change it? You can really only open music 2 ways. Tap on the app or ask Siri and Siri allows you to ask to play via Spotify?

I'm confused by that too. What are people doing that Apple Music pops up instead of their preferred player?

 

[msp3]

inb4 every spyware app calls themselves a "browser"

 

[JosephAW]

Maybe Apple can sandbox these alternative apps

 

[rjp1]

Like to see an option to replace other apps like the phone, calculator, music, weather, reminders, contacts etc...
Like to see an option to perform iOS backups to other or personal cloud servers.
Also like to see emoji updates not tied to iOS updates that way older devices can maintain latest emoji sets or an option to choose which emoji set I want to use when talking to different people.
Finally would like the option to revert to any iOS version supported by your device.
Guess I'm describing android devices.

I’d love to see syncing opened up. I sync all my photos to Nextcloud, and it is annoying that it has to trigger off location and Apple hasn’t played nice with apps you want to always allow location for. It would be great to allow this at a system level, but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[mozumder]

Is WebKit still required?

 

[macmanwa]

You still have to use WebKit for rendering web content, so even though you can have Google as your default browser soon, it still won't be using their (Google) default rendering technologies, it is still WebKit.

 

[Treq]

Gmail blocks push email on other mail apps still doesn't it? If that's not the case, I would be glad to dump the Gmail app from my phone.

I have no idea. I don't use any google products or services.

 

[amartinez1660]

Can’t wait to set Outlook as my default email client on my iPhone and iPad!

And Internet Explorer as the browser.

 

[timidpimpin]

Think about it... it took Apple 14 iOS versions to give users a choice they should have had all along.

 

[amartinez1660]

Like to see an option to replace other apps like the phone, calculator, music, weather, reminders, contacts etc...
Like to see an option to perform iOS backups to other or personal cloud servers.
Also like to see emoji updates not tied to iOS updates that way older devices can maintain latest emoji sets or an option to choose which emoji set I want to use when talking to different people.
Finally would like the option to revert to any iOS version supported by your device.
Guess I'm describing android devices.

Almost, it is my understanding that actually android devices update cycles leave devices in the dust?
I have been told (I have never used android myself except to test builds on the OS that came preintalled) that Samsung, Huawei or similar usually insist on creating a fork of their own with their bloated android version instead of using the original binaries and that updates support are quite subpar and only catch a few devices from previous generations.

 

[Westside guy]

For me, the stock mail app can’t be depended on with consistency.

I wish there were better mail options, but most of the ones that "just" did mail (e.g. IMAP clients) have gone by the wayside. What's left are mostly applications which don't just show you your mail, but also mine its contents for various purposes that don't necessarily align with your own best interests. And I do include gmail in that bucket.

But, having said that, I admit I am not particularly fond of Apple Mail.

 

[zorinlynx]

I'm sure people have their reasons for wanting apps other than the default, but for the life of me I can't think of anything that could make me prefer other options. What do other mail apps do that mail can't, and do you really use email that much that it is important to have a different app? Genuinely curious. I don't use email in my job very often and safari takes me to the pages I want to read without any fuss. Even keeps my bookmarks synced with my Mac. What else does it need to do? Are there features I'm missing out on by using the default apps?

Windows users, for one. There's A LOT of people who have an iPhone but prefer Windows on their computer.

Apple gave up on Safari for Windows, so you can't run that on your PC anymore. You can run Chrome or Firefox, though, and it'll be nice to be able to set one of them as a default on iOS so your bookmarks and history can sync between devices.

 

[Bandaman]

Is WebKit still required?

Yes.

 

[Aleco]

Does all actually sounds very reasonable to me.
Also, am I the only one who’s had to explain time and time again to family members that the Google search app is not a web browser?

Then they ask why they can’t login on some random website... 😕

 

[shapesinaframe]

And Internet Explorer as the browser.

Edge has some good features, the 3D DOM tool is pretty neat.

Navigate webpage layers, z-index, and DOM using the 3D View tool - Microsoft Edge Developer documentation

How to use the 3D View tool, including navigating the 3D canvas and using the Composited Layers tab, Z-index tab, and DOM tab.

docs.microsoft.com

 

[dmccloud]

Requirements look reasonable to me. I am so glad Apple is finally allowing this option. I like Safari but, Apple Mail will no longer be by default app on the phone or iPad. I wish that weren’t the case. For me, the stock mail app can’t be depended on with consistency.

I have to agree - while I do like the Mail app on MacOS, I loathe the iOS/iPadOS version because it takes more steps and time to do the same actions I can do on my Mac.

 

[chicago19]

I doubt that will happen given Apple investment in Apple Music.

I’m unsure though why you’d need to change it? You can really only open music 2 ways. Tap on the app or ask Siri and Siri allows you to ask to play via Spotify?

yes, but if I want to play Spotify, I have to say “the name of the song + on Spotify.” Is it a big deal in the grand scheme of things? No, but it‘s an annoyance that is unnecessary and can be easily solved. I love Apple, but they can loosen the grips a bit. Apple Music has matured a bit and has a decent userbase at this point.

 

[bn-7bc]

Imho the next baby step should be allowing 3d larty web browswe epengines and plugins to those browsers, you know actuall 3.d party browserrs and not just skins around webkit

 

[Xenden]

I am sure the Google lovers are giddy with anticipation. I like Apple Maps, especially in conjunction with the Apple Watch.

I don't know if I'd use Google Maps, but because no other map app, to my knowledge, can take over the lock screen, Apple Maps is a must for me.

I will say, i do use Google Maps for two things.

1. For the very few times that Apple Maps sends me to the wrong area/middle of nowhere. This has happened a couple times where i live. (Albuquerque NM) Mainly, the issue seems to be mislabeled shopping centers. Once, it tried to send me up a mountain.
2. Store hours. Google seems to do better with this. At Least as far us updating.

 

[MacBH928]

Will they allow different rendering engines?

 

[sinoka56]

Dude emoji updates being tied to major updates is ridiculous. Hell, most of these iOS updates that could be broken out into specific updates for apps is ridiculous.

i think we can start expecting setting default apps for other apps as the years go on. Feel like iOS 15 we’ll see a lot.

I mean, it’s ridiculous that it would even take that many versions of an OS to do that lmao.

Seeing how Apple's iMessage has a crashing bug every now and then, they probably have a very specific handling. 😂