Couldn't agree more. Web "apps" have by far the worst usability and reliability. Web developers keep reinventing the wheel but never seem to have the time, budget, or talent to do it right.
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iOS 17.4 Nerfs Web Apps in the EU
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PWAs have a number of features over a bookmark including alerts and offline use.
This is malicious and just why?
A correct way would be at the minimum if Safari it’s your default browser keep the behavior the same if using other browser open just like that a regular that and if they where not evil LOL they would even allow other browsers to do full screen but of course security it’s number 1 priority
It’s sad that Apple has degenerated to the point that this joke is actually funny.
By the way I’d lay even odds that this is a bug that will be fixed in the next release or so.
And probably a dozen others, it’s just a bug in a beta. I don’t think there are any other browsers compatible with this beta version yet. The way they implemented it, third party browser engines are apparently still just using a ton of Apple provided APIs. This is likely just Safari adapting to those APIs. It’ll all be sorted out by the final release, when definitely Google and likely Microsoft and possibly Firefox all announce their new app version in the EU.
This reminds me of complaints about how things are suppose to work even before other browser vendors have even themselves modified their apps to work correctly. Everything can't work all at once as some expect. There's likely to be some incremental changes/fixes to make it work more along the lines of what Apple agreed to past 17.4 release. Such as whats gets improved during 17.5 against the same topics.
Does anyone know if Discord can be used as an PWA on iOS 17.4?
And, even on the current version 17.3, does it work well, showing notification badges on the icon?
I’ve read a lot about how unsafe it is to install Discord App, and some people say running it on the browser is less privacy invasive. Is the PWA as safe as the browser version, or it has access to more data?
Thank you
And, even on the current version 17.3, does it work well, showing notification badges on the icon?
I’ve read a lot about how unsafe it is to install Discord App, and some people say running it on the browser is less privacy invasive. Is the PWA as safe as the browser version, or it has access to more data?
Thank you
The first of many unintended consequences of the DMA (not being allowed to give Safari platform advantage on the web), I am sure. If the EU wants the credit for cracking open the iOS ecosystem, then let them bear the fallout as well.
I suspect most technology vendors will start (if they haven't already) creating EU specific forks of their apps so they can accommodate the constant barrage of nonsense from the EU (cookie banners anyone? / EU government root certs?) without affecting the changes the company actually thinks are sensible. Some regulation is beneficial but the EU takes it to a whole other level.
I put it there to prevent people from going "but Sony! but Nintendo!"
Calling it "general purpose" doesn't kick in anything, but the fact that - despite Apple telling you it's not - iOS is a general-purpose OS means that they have to abide with all the laws that come with it, such as the DMA.
You're mistaken if you think this isn't Apple's doing (assuming it makes it out of beta)
Of course it is.
Part of the intent of the DMA is browser choice. There’s nothing in it stating Apple has to open up iOS to allow PWAs to access OS level functions. So Apple is following the letter of the law. Literally. They’re breaking their own WebKit PWA user experience in order to keep things on a level playing field.
They could probably build an API such that a 3rd party browser engine could take over the Home Screen web app experience, but they don’t have to either.
You want fairness in the EU, you get fairness in the EU. Now everyone is equally worse off.
So you'll agree with me that Apple is acting like a spoiled petulant child and intentionally making iOS worse to follow the letter of a law they aren't following the intent of?
The regulation says “no advantages for the platform owner”. Allowing PWAs for Safari only would be such an advantage. They just cannot legally do it without having provisions for other browsers, too.
So it’s either Apple do what they just did or they build an API that allows third party browsers the ability to take over the homescreen web experience. It seems like a massive rewrite and while we may see this eventually, it also sounds like Apple isn’t really to do that just yet and removing said feature does appear to make sense in the short term in order to comply with the terms of the DMA.
Regulation is a blunt, bad instrument. This had to happen in some way or the other. I find it funny that people who were “Apple must comply with this regulation” are now ”but not with that part of the regulation”, much less that Apple had to comply in a manner consistent with your interpretation thereof.
This is less about Apple acting like a petulant, spoilt brat and more that actions can and often do have unintended consequences. You all want the benefits of the DMA, you all get the drawbacks of it as well. Why do you all think you are entitled to have both your cake and eat it too?
In other words, Apple choose the anti-consumer way yet again. They could do it right and favorable for the end-user, yet they chosen to do it they twisted way and break the user experience. Literally.
The EU chose it for themselves when they made Apple take on the additional engineering burden at no financial benefit to themselves.
I mean, even if we agree that the spirit of the law is that all browsers should have equal PWA integration, as long as Apple has not gotten around to delivering that, they are probably in legal trouble if they keep that advantage.
Lawyers will advise them to be on the safe side, and here we are.
In the meantime, I am going to assume that Apple simply hasn’t gotten around to to it yet. Maybe they (eventually) will, maybe they won’t. We will see.
No, this is pettiness. There's no reason not to show Chrome borderless or offer an API for Chrome to have such functionality. You've been spot on '(...) without giving Safari advantages that the other browsers cannot do.'. You see, hidden APIs are evil. The EU is fighting for freedom here.
It's a matter of principle. Same goes for the governments and laws. Not every law may affect me but those that are offensive towards citizens would lead me to vote against a certain party.
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