In updated developer notes seen by TechCrunch, Apple explained why it disabled progressive web apps (PWAs) in the EU. The news comes after users noticed that their web apps were no longer functional in Europe with the latest iOS 17.4 beta releases. Apple said the feature was blocked in the region due to new rules on browsers in the European Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple removed web applications because they were deemed non-functional
Much like native apps, web apps allow for private windowing, notifications, long-term local storage, and more. European users who tap web app icons see a message asking if they want to open them in Safari or cancel them. According to comments from users seen by MacRumors, this means they act more like web shortcuts, creating issues like data loss and garbled notifications.
According to Apple, the issue stems from a new DMA requirement that allows browsers that do not use the WebKit architecture. “Addressing the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web applications using alternative browser engines would require the creation of an entirely new integration architecture not currently available in iOS and is impractical to undertake given the other demands of DMA and the very low level of user adoption. Home Screen web apps,” he wrote.