Apple Now Allowing Non-WebKit Engines in EU, Offering More Options for Changing Default Browser

With the iOS 17.4 update, Apple is making sweeping changes to iOS in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union. Apple is opening up the browser engine, and giving users more choice over what apps and services they use as the defaults on their devices.

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Users in the EU who update to iOS 17.4 will be presented with a splash screen upon opening Safari that allows them to choose a new default browser. Apple is not providing just the standard browsers that have been options on iOS in the past, but a list of the most downloaded browsers on iOS devices. Some of the options include Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge.

Browser apps can also now use browser engines other than WebKit, both for browser apps and in-app browsing experiences within apps. At the current time, Apple requires all browsers on iOS to use the WebKit engine, including popular options like Chrome and Firefox. Going forward, Chrome will be able to use Blink, for example.

Users will also be able to choose a default app marketplace, thanks to support for alternative marketplaces, and they will be able to select a default contactless app for contactless payments. These changes are limited to iPhone and iPad users in the European Union, and they are being implemented as part of iOS 17.4, which is available to developers as a beta as of today.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

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Top Rated Comments

sniffies Avatar
16 months ago
About damn time! Hopefully this change will make its way to U.S. as well.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
16 months ago

Kiss goodbye to 15 years of websites working correctly on iPhone. Lazy web devs will now optimise just for Chrome. Well done EU!
While the omnipresence of Chromium is definitely a huge problem, you hardly can blame the EU for this as their intention is to offer more choice. It’s up to Apple to make Safari better, not to limit choice.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rafark Avatar
16 months ago

Kiss goodbye to 15 years of websites working correctly on iPhone. Lazy web devs will now optimise just for Chrome. Well done EU!
It’s the other way around. Now you will be able to use old devices for much longer. iPhones, iPads and even iPod touches running an unsupported iOS version today won’t render half the websites you visit because safari can’t be updated to support new web technologies. But in the future with browsers powered by other engines you’ll be able to browser the web with a 10-15 year old device!
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gee4orce Avatar
16 months ago
Kiss goodbye to 15 years of websites working correctly on iPhone. Lazy web devs will now optimise just for Chrome. Well done EU!
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5786735 Avatar
16 months ago
U.S. next please and thank you.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BadApe Avatar
16 months ago
I will keep Safari. Thanks alot.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)