mostly for the better, but also for the worse

For weeks, we’ve been expecting iOS 17.4 to be a historic update for iPhone users in the European Union. And it is on the old continent that we will see many changes due to new EU rules, which, among other things, mean the possibility of having more application stores for iOS, in addition to the App Store.

Another change Apple is forced to implement concerns opening up access to other web browsing mechanisms. As a technology enthusiast in general and Apple in particular, I’m looking forward to this update, although it will also entail resignations which, unfortunately, do not look like they will be reversed in the short term.

Opening the doors of the App Store is positive (even if it scares you)

One of the implications that European laws have for Apple is that they must provide the ability to download apps beyond the App Store. Finally, it won’t be downloading them from the Internet, as happens on Android with APK files, but rather opening up the App Store to other stores.

As a result, over the weeks I have read and heard complaints from other enthusiasts about the opening of the iOS store. That this happens by imposition rather than Apple’s own initiative is an interesting debate, but that’s a different matter entirely. Most complaints come from the privacy and security side, but the truth is that they don’t necessarily mean anything negative.

Me as a user I think the more options we are given, the better.. This encourages competition between developers, and while it is true that not everyone will be able to upload their own store to the App Store due to Apple’s economic requirements, they will be able to enter other stores.

Facing a sea of ​​uncertainty is what motivates me.. Because yes, we already know that some stores like the Epic Store will be moving to iOS with this opening. However, there is still a lot of unknowns about what new apps will be coming to iOS. And I like it. The opportunity to explore these stores in search of hidden gems, and always with caution, is something that will always interest me.

Using a different browser on iPhone and making it unique is another important point.

Another interesting point, which I already mentioned in the introduction, concerns the browser. For now Safari comes by default, but that will change (if we want) with iOS 17.4.. The first time you open this browser after the update, you’ll be presented with a screen offering several options to use as the default browser on iPhone, including Safari itself. We can select another one and it will be automatically downloaded and configured as the default option.

Apart from this, there are other positive consequences. explore the limits of iOS viewing. Browsers will no longer have to rely on WebKit, the web browser development API on iOS, which is still the only way for any developer to get their web browsing app running on the iPhone.

Yes, over the years we have had various options such as Google Chrome, Opera or Mozilla Firefox and many others. However, since they all share the same Apple engine, they still end up being a sort of customized Safari. They may add some additional options and change the interface somewhat, but essentially it’s the same thing.

With iOS 17.4 we can now find complete browsers suitable for every developer, and this This could open the door for mobile browsers to be much closer to what we have on desktop computers.

The downside is that we will say goodbye to web applications.

As always, nothing is perfect. And even for me, who accepts all this news in a good mood, this is no exception. Along with the previous point also comes discontinuation of PWA support, an acronym for Progressive Web Applications, also known as web applications. They are present in almost every device, including the iPhone (although they will soon be gone).

If you don’t know what it is, This is a kind of “mini-application” that works over the Internet.. It is ideal for developers who do not have sufficient resources to create an application, making it easier to create applications over the Internet and providing certain advantages over a regular web page. You can even receive push notifications, which Apple introduced in iOS 16.4.

For the user, this also makes sense since he does not have to download the application and thus even free up space on the iPhone. In addition, you can add to iPhone home screen as if it were just another app, and despite running Safari in the background, they don’t open directly in the browser. However, the situation will soon change.

Well, as we already knew, web applications will no longer be supported. The fact that each web browser developer will use their own architecture makes it impossible for Apple to support web applications (even if Safari is used). The company itself announced this in a note on its website for developers.

In my personal case, I admit that I use web applications less and less, but I still have a few that need to disappear from the main screen.. And since we update to iOS 17.4, they will no longer work. While it’s possible they’ll return in the future, it’s already seen as something of an implementation challenge on Apple’s part. An alternative would be to add favorites to the home screen, although this is not the same.

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