New Safari Updates Make Web Apps Work More Like Native Apps on iOS

Apple’s recent updates to Safari for iPadOS and iOS have added over 135 new features, including support for Web apps that now operate more like native apps on iPhones. These changes may be good news for app developers who want to offer services and apps to Apple’s mobile platforms outside the App Store.

Safari’s Enhancements

Safari 16.4 gains numerous enhancements, including support to Import Maps, Media Queries, and more. However, the most significant changes involve the Home Screen web apps.

Web Push Notifications

Web Push support is being added to Home Screen web apps, which lets developers send push notifications to users via Push API, Notifications API, and Service Workers. With this feature, logged-in users can receive notifications related to their services or products. Users can choose to allow or deny permissions for these interactions, and manage these permissions on a per-app basis in Notification Settings.

Other Enhancements

Additional Safari updates include the Badging API, which allows apps to display how many notifications or messages are available for users. Apple also makes it possible to host multiple instances of an app on the home screen, and third-party browsers can add sites and web apps to the home screen from within the Share menu. These updates will make it easier to run features such as third-party Core apps featured’ “Files Cleaner” feature. Additionally, web app developers can use screen orientation, user activation, screen wake, and web codecs APIs to have much better control over media processing for web apps.

Wrap Up

Overall, the new Safari updates represent a significant response to the challenges Apple has been facing regarding App Store business practices. With these updates, web apps can operate more like native apps on iOS, allowing developers to deliver more complex app interactions. Apple’s constant improvements in its products and services make it a leading tech company, and it is a good opportunity for users to benefit from these updates.