Apple stops plans to disable Progressive Web Apps on iOS for EU residents

It´s hard to believe, but it is happening. Since end of January, when some web forefront people noticed the first beta for iOS 17.4 was no longer supporting Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), the web community was rallying against Apples supposed plan of disabling PWAs. It took a month of intense activism and for now it looks like the effort was worth it, because Apple cancelled its plan.

In a huge relief to developers and supporters of the open web, and under immense backlash, Apple has cancelled its plan to sabotage Web Apps! This ends weeks of fear and uncertainty for developers and users.

Apples statement is:

UPDATE: Previously, Apple announced plans to remove the Home Screen web apps capability in the EU as part of our efforts to comply with the DMA. The need to remove the capability was informed by the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps to support alternative browser engines that would require building a new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS.

We have received requests to continue to offer support for Home Screen web apps in iOS, therefore we will continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU. This support means Home Screen web apps continue to be built directly on WebKit and its security architecture, and align with the security and privacy model for native apps on iOS.

Developers and users who may have been impacted by the removal of Home Screen web apps in the beta release of iOS in the EU can expect the return of the existing functionality for Home Screen web apps with the availability of iOS 17.4 in early March.

Please refer to Open letter to Tim Cook, sabotaging Web Apps is indefensible for more context.