Bloomberg: Apple May Let iOS Users Set Third-Party Web Browser and Mail Apps as Defaults Over Stock Apps

[nvmls]

Your statement is demonstrably false as well as insulting. I'm quite happy with Safari in it's current state, and use it in preference to Chrome and Firefox, and I know quite a few other smart people who feel the same way.

Good one, please enlighten us. You don't just demonstrate things by typing "demonstrably".

 

[FasterQuieter]

Gmail for default mail, Google Maps for default maps and Spotify as default music. That would be very nice.

 

[phillytim]

Good one, please enlighten us. You don't just demonstrate things by typing "demonstrably".

I think he did intend to use "demonstrably" in context, to mean abhorrently 'false'; rather than "demonstratively".

 

[one more]

Fair enough, reminds me of the days when Microsoft were forced to present users with a choice of browsers on its first boot. Choice is good and will lead to a healthy competition between browsers, maps, mail & music streaming services, etc. ✌️

 

[MisterSavage]

I've been wanting this for a long time. Bring it on.

 

[bn-7bc]

We

Serious question, is Chrome or Firefox better than Safari on iOS? I feel like Safari is the one and only web browser on iOS that can do everything and is the best already

well yes and no, as a web browser no, sincevitbuses thevsame enine as safari, but itballows me to sync bookmarks etc to my windows desktop(yea I know the dark side, but I likeva few games thatbdoes not have mac versions) sonthebtital app experience us slighty better, if inly chrome coud impkement desktop site as default on pad os ...

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Fantastical
outlook
google maps

... just to name a few all devices defaults

 

[Mr. Heckles]

I get the feeling very long term this might not turn out well for end users. If Apple makes this change then Chrome will grow to dominate even more so than now. The Safari user base will shrink away to nothing. Apple will spend fewer resources developing Safari because of its disappearing user base. More people will move to Chrome. And the cycle will keep repeating until there is only one viable player in the market, Chrome. And in the end that will be bad for users.

Yes, exactly! This will in the long run ONLY benefit Google and therefor hurt competition and in the end be a bad thing for the consumer/user.

seriously? drinking the Kool-Aid much? If you don’t want to use other browsers, then don’t. Your choice. I like Firefox because I can sync all my info across different platforms. I have the same bookmarks on my System 76 (Linux) computer, Windows computer, and my Apple stuff. It works great. How... please how... will this hurt competition? How is this bad for customers? This is a great thing for customers, one of the things I dislike about iOS.

do not want



The last thing I need to have to try and figure out, over the phone, is what browser my mother has screwed up while trying to troubleshoot why she can't see her posts on facebook.

Really? That’s is a lame excuse for not wanting something.

The main reason I use safari is because of iCloud Keychain. All my passwords there.

I think all browser save passwords.... one of the many reasons I use a password manage, I’m not tied into a browser due to passwords.

 

[phillytim]

If I could choose, my defaults would be:

Browser: Firefox
Mail: Apple Mail
Calendar: Fantastical 2
Maps: Google Maps

 

[Zaft]

Cool but wake me up when I can finally lock apps with touchID / FaceID individually. It’s not that hard ... just let me toggle them in the settings menu or at least let me lock the „hidden“ folder in photos. A album called HIDDEN just asks to be opened by noisy people

some apps like Dropbox has this but a systemwide lock would be nice.
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There is a reason google pays Apple billions to be the default search engine. Why? Because the vast majority never touch defaults.

 

[JRobinsonJr]

They should also consider letting google map be default too, very insufficient every time I click on a address in contact and ask me to restore apple map.

um... then stop deleting Apple Maps! ✌️
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Unfortunately, there is a high risk that is what would happen. And if Apple expand it to Maps, the same thing would occur.

Possibly, but an alternative is that Apple would have direct App-vs-App competition and be forced to be more aggressive with uodates. If not... they lose. Either way is a win for consumers!

 

[DinkThifferent]

You guys don't understand it.

iOS 14 will ship with Internet Explorer for the next 5 years as the default browser. This was part of the Microsoft rescue deal of the late 90's, but there was a typo. Instead of "Starting in 2000", the deal read "Starting in 2020".

 

[JRobinsonJr]

Great...now when are they gonna do this with virtual assistants? I'd dump Siri for Google in a heartbeat. (And yes, I know you can sort of do this already, but it's clunky AF.)

Not Google, but Alexa (personal preferenc), but you‘ve got the right idea!

 

[CarlJ]

Good one, please enlighten us. You don't just demonstrate things by typing "demonstrably".

demonstrably | dəˈmänstrəblē | adverb​

in a way that is clearly apparent or capable of being logically proved: the policies followed so far have demonstrably failed | the claim is demonstrably false.​

• I am not a moron.
• I like Safari in its current state.

Therefore your assertion is proven wrong. It's not just a matter of opinion.

 

[nvmls]

demonstrably | dəˈmänstrəblē | adverb​

in a way that is clearly apparent or capable of being logically proved: the policies followed so far have demonstrably failed | the claim is demonstrably false.​

• I am not a moron.
• I like Safari in its current state.

Therefore your assertion is proven wrong. It's not just a matter of opinion.

Impressive, another post failing to demonstrate anything. Confirms /s in first point.

 

[quietstormSD]

I get the feeling very long term this might not turn out well for end users. If Apple makes this change then Chrome will grow to dominate even more so than now. The Safari user base will shrink away to nothing. Apple will spend fewer resources developing Safari because of its disappearing user base. More people will move to Chrome. And the cycle will keep repeating until there is only one viable player in the market, Chrome. And in the end that will be bad for users.

I think for iPhone users, it's very unlikely that people will switch the default. I know a lot of iPhone users that always willingly use Apple Maps and nothing else even though it's inferior. They just stick with what is stock.

 

[He15urPr3z]

do not want

The last thing I need to have to try and figure out, over the phone, is what browser my mother has screwed up while trying to troubleshoot why she can't see her posts on facebook.

Maybe your mother shouldn't have a smartphone if she can't use it. Also, why wouldn't she be using the app for Facebook and not the Web?

 

[Mr. Heckles]

I think for iPhone users, it's very unlikely that people will switch the default. I know a lot of iPhone users that always willingly use Apple Maps and nothing else even though it's inferior. They just stick with what is stock.

I have zero issues with Apple Maps. It hasn’t sent me to a wrong direction, it works better than the GPS in the one vehicle that I have, works great with Apple car play, so who do I need to change?

 

[AlphaTeam]

I get the feeling very long term this might not turn out well for end users. If Apple makes this change then Chrome will grow to dominate even more so than now. The Safari user base will shrink away to nothing. Apple will spend fewer resources developing Safari because of its disappearing user base. More people will move to Chrome. And the cycle will keep repeating until there is only one viable player in the market, Chrome. And in the end that will be bad for users.

I don't get this line of reasoning. So users want Chrome and Google has built a browser people prefer. So its okay to force Safari down our throats? Why is it so hard to grasp that just let people do what they want to do with the phone they paid for?

 

[steve62388]

I don't get this line of reasoning. So users want Chrome and Google has built a browser people prefer. So its okay to force Safari down our throats? Why is it so hard to grasp that just let people do what they want to do with the phone they paid for?

The point being if large numbers do jump ship to Chrome, in the end you will only be left with Chrome.

 

[CarlJ]

I know a lot of iPhone users that always willingly use Apple Maps and nothing else even though it's inferior.

You forgot the "I think..." before the underlined part. I have Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze on my phone. I've used all three. I get roughly the same results from all three. Apple Maps has, to my taste, a superior display (easier to parse the information I want in a quick glance), and Siri integration so I can ask for directions. So, I use Apple Maps all the time. It's not a matter of "willingly, ...even though". I prefer it.

 

[cSalmon]

it would be great to have a mail program on the iPad that could be locked off while the rest of the tablet was being used. A lot of times I need to have others handling my iPad while we are collaborating on a project and its rather nerve racking that they may have easy access to all of my emails. Really takes the usefulness of the iPad as a tool right out the door.

 

[adrianlondon]

At the moment, the only default app I'd replace is 'Mail' (in favor of Outlook). A solid move going forward though.

Mail to Outlook. Apple Maps to Google Maps. Safari to Firefox. Calendar to something-else (I keep trying alternatives).

 

[Mr. Heckles]

The point being if large numbers do jump ship to Chrome, in the end you will only be left with Chrome.

You realize there are other browsers besides Chrome?

 

[ColoradoBillsFan]

For me it’s Waze, Spotify, and maybe a new mail app.

At the moment, the only default app I'd replace is 'Mail' (in favor of Outlook). A solid move going forward though.