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iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 Betas Add Support for Web Push Notifications

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The iOS and iPadOS 16.4 betas that were seeded to developers today add support for web push notifications, a feature that Apple promised would be coming to iOS 16 back in June.

ios-16-4-web-push-notifications.png

Websites that are saved as web apps to the Home Screen can send iPhone and iPad users Web Push notifications through the Push API, Notifications API, and Service Workers. A web app added to the Home Screen can ask the user permission to send push notifications, as described by Apple's WebKit team.
A web app that has been added to the Home Screen can request permission to receive push notifications as long as that request is in response to direct user interaction -- such as tapping on a 'subscribe' button provided by the web app. iOS or iPadOS will prompt the user to give the web app permission to send notifications. The user can then manage those permissions per web app in Notifications Settings -- just like any other app on iPhone and iPad.
Click to expand...
Notifications from websites are designed to work exactly like notifications from other apps, showing up on the Lock Screen in Notification Center and on a paired Apple Watch.

Other new Safari 16.4 features include support for Focus for managing Safari Push Notifications, badge counts for website push notifications, third-party browser support for Add to Home Screen, and more.

Article Link: iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 Betas Add Support for Web Push Notifications
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/16/ios-16-4-web-push-notifications/
Last edited:
L

Lounge vibes 05

macrumors 68030
May 30, 2016
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If anyone wants to know why, it’s not because it was a highly requested feature.
It’s because a part of the investigations under Apple for anti-trust involving the App Store are the claims that they treat web apps worse, and don’t give them the same functionalitie as AppStore apps.
This would include functionality like… Oh, I don’t know… Push notifications maybe?
“Third-party app stores should be permitted and users should not be prevented from sideloading apps outside a gatekeeper’s own app store. Legislative and regulatory measures should prohibit restrictions on sideloading, alternative app stores, and web apps.
Requirements that ban developers from using alternative in-app payment systems should be banned.
Third-party web browser apps should be able to offer full functionality and not face browser engine restrictions .
Pre-installed apps, default options, and anticompetitive self-preferencing should be limited, including in search results.
Users should be able to choose their own apps as defaults and delete or hide pre-installed apps.
App store review processes should be more transparent.”
From:
www.macrumors.com

Biden Administration Report Recommends Sweeping Changes to Apple's Ecosystem

A report commissioned by the Biden administration this week recommended new legislation to make major changes to Apple's platform restrictions...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
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DFZD

DFZD

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Apr 6, 2012
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I like my coffee like I like my annoyances.. Looking forward to some more pesky notifications I can comfortably ignore.
 
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S

stevemiller

macrumors 68000
Oct 27, 2008
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can i feature request the opposite? i have 'allow websites to ask permission to send notifications' disabled on desktop safari, and yet i still get endless requests.
 
J

Jakexb

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Mar 18, 2014
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WOW!

I never thought they would do this. Seriously it's one of the only reason most apps are apps. Almost everything else an app does, a mobile website can do... except get notifications.

Now there is literally no reason to have a Twitter app or a Facebook app or any messaging app. You can just save the mobile website to the homescreen and still get your notifs.

My assumption was that Apple was dragging their feet on this because they knew they would lose App Store revenue if a website could do all the things a native app could do.
 
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Fraserh02

Fraserh02

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Jun 18, 2017
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mastercheif91 said:
Never have I ever wanted a notification from a website.

Hopefully Apple makes it easy and obvious on how to fully disable web notification requests.
Click to expand...
Although I understand in most cases, in work we have a website which we use that would be valuable for push notifications as there isn’t a native app.

On chrome on Mac this feature already exists, and you can choose to disable it from even prompting you at all / disable completely so I hope / would think apple would too.
 
StellarVixen

StellarVixen

macrumors 68040
Mar 1, 2018
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Somewhere between 0 and 1
Jakexb said:
WOW!

I never thought they would do this. Seriously it's one of the only reason most apps are apps. Almost everything else an app does, a mobile website can do... except get notifications.

Now there is literally no reason to have a Twitter app or a Facebook app or any messaging app. You can just save the mobile website to the homescreen and still get your notifs.

My assumption was that Apple was dragging their feet on this because they knew they would lose App Store revenue if a website could do all the things a native app could do.
Click to expand...
From "there is an app for that" to "why do I even need an app"?
 
RedTheReader

RedTheReader

macrumors 6502
Nov 18, 2019
444
1,075
Jakexb said:
WOW!

I never thought they would do this. Seriously it's one of the only reason most apps are apps. Almost everything else an app does, a mobile website can do... except get notifications.

Now there is literally no reason to have a Twitter app or a Facebook app or any messaging app. You can just save the mobile website to the homescreen and still get your notifs.

My assumption was that Apple was dragging their feet on this because they knew they would lose App Store revenue if a website could do all the things a native app could do.
Click to expand...
It is the exact reason that they haven’t done it yet. I’m not trying to be conspiratorial, most applications would simply disappear if websites could truly replicate their functionality. Why would Apple and Google want that? Like some commenters above said, this is because of the antitrust cases.
 
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redheeler

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
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Colorado, USA
Lounge vibes 05 said:
If anyone wants to know why, it’s not because it was a highly requested feature.
It’s because a part of the investigations under Apple for anti-trust involving the App Store are the claims that they treat web apps worse, and don’t give them the same functionalitie as AppStore apps.
This would include functionality like… Oh, I don’t know… Push notifications maybe?
“Third-party app stores should be permitted and users should not be prevented from sideloading apps outside a gatekeeper’s own app store. Legislative and regulatory measures should prohibit restrictions on sideloading, alternative app stores, and web apps.
Requirements that ban developers from using alternative in-app payment systems should be banned.
Third-party web browser apps should be able to offer full functionality and not face browser engine restrictions .
Pre-installed apps, default options, and anticompetitive self-preferencing should be limited, including in search results.
Users should be able to choose their own apps as defaults and delete or hide pre-installed apps.
App store review processes should be more transparent.”
From:
www.macrumors.com

Biden Administration Report Recommends Sweeping Changes to Apple's Ecosystem

A report commissioned by the Biden administration this week recommended new legislation to make major changes to Apple's platform restrictions...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
Click to expand...
xxray said:
Finally! Not all websites have an app, and I don’t always trust a website enough to have their app installed on my phone, but notifications that link me to an article or item would be really useful.
Click to expand...
This is massive news for web app developers and many open-source cross-platform projects. Seriously game-changing. Withholding this feature on iOS was a disgusting practice and I'm so glad to finally see Apple feeling the pressure from regulators, even if many years too late.
 
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