At the same time, web-based apps cannot run in full screen mode and third-party browsers do not offer the option to add a web app to the home screen. because it has no competition on iOS.”Īs the group told The Register, restricting apps to WebKit has become a problem because developers can’t even access some of the features that Safari has.įor example, full-screen capabilities are limited in third-party browsers, and Apple limits Apple Pay integration with Safari.
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“Because right now every browser on iOS, be it Chrome, Firefox or Edge, is really just a brand skin of Safari, lagging behind. “The group’s motive is to convince Apple to allow other browser engines on iOS so that iOS can be a better platform for developing things for the modern web,” explains Lawson. In other words, every web browser or web app you see on iOS is basically Safari running under a different ‘skin’. That’s because, unlike macOS, iOS apps must use WebKit as their browser engine. At the same time, it’s asking Apple to open up iOS to third-party browser engines.įor those unfamiliar, iOS relies on the WebKit engine, which powers not only Safari, but all web content on Apple’s operating system. The OWA is now urging Apple users to contact regulators and legislators in other jurisdictions to galvanize support and force Apple to end its restrictions around WebKit, although such a move could make sideloading apps from the web a real possibility, and that is something Apple appears equally reluctant to allow.The group wants developers to have access to the same features available in the iOS version of Safari. Should Apple Continue to Ban Rival Browser Engines on iOS?.
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The OWA says it has been communicating with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has already heavily criticized Apple's policies around WebKit. If Apple actually did fix security errors fast, that would be a plausible defense, but they don't." So for 57 days, every iOS user who used any web browser on iOS – because it was using WebKit – was leaking data left, right and center. And that remained unpatched by Apple for 57 days. Not all of them but those that use certain browser features.
"That allowed any arbitrary website to see other websites you visited. "Over Christmas, there was a huge bug in something called IndexedDB," said Lawson. These and more than 30 other missing functions or APIs for WebKit are outlined in the OWA's " Bringing Competition to Walled Gardens" paper.Īpple argues that WebKit limitations are motivated primarily by security and privacy considerations, but Lawson belives Apple's handling of Safari bugs makes a mockery of that claim. Developers are also frustrated that iOS forces Safari to be used in all instances of in-app browsing.
APPLE SAFARI WEB BROWSER INSTALL
Some Safari features that are not available to other browsers that use WebKit include the ability to display fullscreen video on iPhone, install web apps, use browser extensions, and integrate Apple Pay. "Because at the moment, every browser on iOS, whether it be badged Chrome, Firefox or Edge is actually just a branded skin of Safari, which lags behind because it has no competition on iOS." "The motive of the group is to try to persuade Apple that they need to allow other browser engines on iOS, so the iOS can be a better platform for developing stuff for the modern web," developer Bruce Lawson told The Register. The latest pushback comes in the form of " Open Web Advocacy" or OWA, a project launched by UK-based developers who want third-party access to all the features that Safari enjoys but which are not available in WebKit. Apple requires all third-party browser apps on iOS and iPadOS to use WebKit, but many browser developers are not happy with the limitations this imposes on them. Apple is being challenged by a group of developers to end WebKit's dominance on its mobile devices and allow other browser engines on iPhone and iPad, following accusations that the current situation amounts to anti-competitive conduct.įor those unfamiliar with WebKit, Apple's browser engine powers Safari and other areas of the operating system where web content is displayed.
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