from Hacker News

Is Apple breaking PWAs out of malicious compliance?

by meibo on 2/8/24, 7:55 PM with 57 comments

  • by philip1209 on 2/8/24, 8:22 PM

    I just launched PWA support for Booklet [1].

    The feedback I keep getting from users is "Wait, Apple really lets you do this?"

    Push notification access outside of the App Store controls is insanely powerful. Many apps don't need to be native code - but go through the rigmarole to get access to push notifications.

    I think we'll see a lot more PWAs this year, and along with that - I think Apple will start to roll back some of the features like they're doing here in the EU.

    [1] https://hq.booklet.group/posts/introducing-push-notification...

  • by jeroenhd on 2/8/24, 8:18 PM

    It's probably easier to disable PWAs than to add the necessary APIs (probably most importantly: the ability to add new app icons on demand). If only Safari can "install" an app, the EU no doubt has an opinion about that.

    Interestingly, Android has the same problem. Non-Chrome browsers can add PWA shortcuts through widgets, but they can't add items to the app drawer like Chrome can. I wonder how the EU will look at Google in this regard.

    Another issue: Apple's implementation of web notifications requires websites sending notifications to be installed as a PWA. I wonder what happens to these applications now.

  • by jimmySixDOF on 2/8/24, 8:24 PM

    I have a bit respect that Apple is technically allowing WebXR support on the Vision Pro - behind a Safari Flag for now but still it's there and a step in the right direction towards a less restrictive walled garden.

  • by adrr on 2/8/24, 8:51 PM

    I am curious for people who have launched PWAs, have you seen widespread adoption? We did a poll at my previous company, and no one had one installed which made us reconsider releasing a PWA.

  • by tadfisher on 2/8/24, 8:13 PM

    I'm no fan of Apple, but this just seems like the right thing to do until they add the requisite APIs for third-party browsers to act as PWA hosts.

  • by jsnell on 2/8/24, 8:34 PM

  • by sccxy on 2/8/24, 8:21 PM

    Apple is also refusing comments.

    Jen Simmons - Safaris "open web advocate" is also silent. Her social media is spammed with this issue.

  • by Spivak on 2/8/24, 8:23 PM

    This doesn't feel like breaking so much as respecting the user's browser choice. What do you do with a user whose default browser is something that can't act as a PWA host? If they kept it as Safari you wouldn't hear the end of it.

  • by bni on 2/9/24, 4:24 PM

    Apple:

    "You demanded Browser choice. Here is Browser choice"

    "What is this Pee Wee Aaj you speak of"

  • by politelemon on 2/8/24, 8:25 PM

    Another in a long line of ways that they've been damaging the web ecosystem.

    I can only hope that some day Apple/Safari are seen the same way we look back on IE6. For now, it saddens me that the very people that should be advocating for a healthy web are the ones that will choose to defend it or justify why this is a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

  • by Andrex on 2/8/24, 9:54 PM

    Could an alternate iOS browser in the EU add this back in?

  • by gtvwill on 2/8/24, 8:15 PM

    Oh fancy that. More anticonsumer actions from apple. Zero surprises.

    Waiting for apple simps to come and defend it with some bs. Honestly repeated breaches of law intentionally by apple needs a few execs slapped in jail. Negligent company needs a reigning in.

  • by daviddever23box on 2/8/24, 8:32 PM

    This is what happens when one lets bureaucrats make technology decisions for end users.