With the release of iOS 16.4, Apple takes a significant stride toward providing web app developers with more native app-like experiences on their devices. Now, users can receive push notifications from Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) installed on their home screens, closing the gap between web apps and native apps.
Since 2008, iOS users have been able to create shortcuts to their favorite web apps on their devices. Over time, Apple has progressively added features for web app functionality to its OS; however, push notification support remained notably absent.
With the arrival of iOS 16.4, Apple's WebKit team wrote in a blog post: "We are adding support for Web Push to Home Screen web apps. Web Push makes it possible for web developers to send push notifications to their users through the use of Push API, Notifications API, and Service Workers all working together."
Web app developers can now request permission to send push notifications when users interact with "subscribe" buttons present within web apps. Once granted, users will receive notifications on their lock screen, notification center, or even a paired Apple Watch. Notably, permission settings can be managed in iOS just like those of native apps, further bridging the gap between web and native app experiences.
This feature aligns with W3C-compatible Web Push, which Apple debuted in macOS Ventura's Safari 16.1 browser in the fall. As a result, web app developers that embrace standards-based Web Push along with industry best practices will find their apps functioning seamlessly on both iPhone and iPad devices.
The introduction of Badging API support allows web app developers to display badge counts on iOS home screens. By leveraging the setAppBadge and clearAppBadge functions, the badge counts can be easily updated.
Apple plans to permit third-party browsers to add web apps to home screens in an upcoming iOS release version, further expanding exposure and adoption possibilities for web apps. This move is in line with Apple's recent improvements to web app functionality on iDevices, as well as its rumored allowance of non-WebKit browsers on its platforms, both possibly hinting at the company's strategy for future web app support.
Some other new APIs of interest to web app developers include:
- Screen Wake Lock API
- Screen Orientation API
- User Activation API
- Web Codecs API video support
Web app support enhancements underscore the importance of web apps within the software ecosystem, reflected by increasingly feature-rich experiences. This trend is further supported by popular no-code platforms like AppMaster.io that enable effective and efficient development of various applications, including web apps. To explore the potential of no-code development and platforms like AppMaster.io, check out their Full Guide on No-Code Low-Code App Development for 2022.
AppMaster's users, too, can benefit from these new web app support features within their projects, potentially accelerating development even further.
