Apple Walks Back Decision to Disable Home Screen Web Apps in the EU

Following intense criticism, Apple today walked back its plan to disable Home Screen web apps in the European Union starting with iOS 17.4.

iOS 17
Following the release of the second beta version of iOS 17.4, it emerged that Apple had restricted the functionality of iOS web apps in the EU. Web apps could no longer launch from the ‌Home Screen‌ in their own top-level window that takes up the entire screen, relegating them to a simple shortcut with an option to open within Safari instead.

The move was heavily criticized by groups like Open Web Advocacy, which started a petition in an effort to persuade Apple to reverse the change, and it even caught the attention of the European Commission. Now, Apple has backtracked and says that ‌Home Screen‌ web apps that use WebKit in the EU will continue to function as expected upon the release of iOS 17.4. In an update posted on Apple's developer website, the company said:

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.

Apple previously claimed that it had to make the change to how web apps work in iOS to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), arguing that third-party browsers used with web apps in Europe could expose users to unlawful security and privacy risks. It believed that the adjustment would only affect a small number of users. Apple still needs to make a range of changes to its platforms in the European Union, such as allowing third-party app stores, by the DMA's deadline of March 6.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
14 months ago

The move ....

even caught the attention of the European Commission ('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/02/26/disabled-web-apps-attract-eu-scrutiny/').

Now, Apple has backtracked
Some good news!

Thank you to the EU for forcing Apple down some roads it should already be taking ... even if they don't want to.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
till Avatar
14 months ago
Apple consistently has a...creative interpretation of the DMA. I'm eagerly awaiting the evaluation from regulators which should be coming in a few weeks.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThatsMeRight Avatar
14 months ago
What Apple is doing with iOS 17.4 is called malicious compliance.

Their lawyers will surely have checked everything and clearly they believe they can get away with it. It's a risky endeavor for Apple, since the fines are very significant - even for a company like Apple.

In this case, there were already some hints that this was something the EU could easily act on. Wise decision to revert. Probably won't be enough, though.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PsykX Avatar
14 months ago
It was a bad idea from the very beginning.
I don't live in Europe, but I'm glad for Europeans that Apple reversed course on this stupid decision.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haemolysis Avatar
14 months ago

People don’t seem to realize that the EU regulation is such that you don’t know you are in violation until the EU tells you that you are. It was actually up to Apple to interpret the DMA the way they did and hope they got it right. Now because of backlash they will do it another way and also hope the EU is fine with it (spoiler they won’t be).
Such nonsense. Apple have been directly engaged in this process for months in which the spirit of the law has been made extremely clear. Apple is deliberately attempting to obfuscate that intent by “technical compliance” without opening up their platform… when the intentions of the law which are clearly: just open up the platform.

They are banking on legal battles, delays, appeals, etc. But at the end of the day, the EU is not going to lie down and say “ohhhh I guess they got us on these technicalities and loopholes!!” They’ll simply just close the loopholes.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
14 months ago

So basically apple thought they couldn’t offer web apps using webkit because of the DMA regulations and it wasn’t worth their time rewriting how it works so scrapped web apps in the eu, uproar follows and it actually turns out using webkit for these is ok? It’s good to know the regulations are clear!
A careful reading shows that they’ve just re-enabled WebKit.

Their concerns about having to rearchitect the security posture to allow 3rd party web engines still stands, and I assume it will done via iOS 18 (.1,.2,.3, who knows).

If the EU decides to take issue. Apple can now point to the immediate need for the WebKit version that developers have brought up while simultaneously engineering their solution for 3rd party engines at a later date.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)