There are many new features coming to your iPhone soon, but it seemed like one would disappear for good. This is why the feature remains in iOS 17.4.
iOS 17.4 brings big changes
Major changes are coming to your iPhone with iOS 17.4, which must be implemented due to new European legislation. It will finally be possible to install apps from alternative app stores. In that case you no longer need Apple’s App Store. That is perhaps the most important new feature in iOS 17.4, because you then get the choice of multiple App Stores.
Also read: Your iPhone changes completely: this is what Apple turns iOS upside down
This is the result of new European legislation, which is intended to give (small) developers a fairer competitive position vis-Ã -vis Apple. That is why the NFC chip must also be opened to third parties. With iOS 17.4, other payment methods will become available in addition to Apple Pay. However, it seemed that a function would also disappear in iOS 17.4: Apple announced that it would put an end to the installation of webapps.
Web apps still remain in iOS 17.4
A web app is an application that you view via the web browser and does not need to be installed on your iPhone (or iPad). You can download the apps directly from Safari on your iPhone. So you don’t have to go to the App Store for this. Since iOS 16.4 it is even possible to set notifications webapps, just like a real app. This is especially useful if a website does not have an app, but Apple previously announced that the function will disappear in iOS 17.4.
Apple cited security as the reason for this webapps that are installed via browsers that do not run WebKit. Apple’s Safari runs on WebKit and all other browsers do so until iOS 17.4. After the new update, this is no longer mandatory due to the new European legislation, so we will finally see a full-fledged version of other browsers such as Chrome.
According to Apple, it is impossible to improve the security of the webapps from other browsers, so it was decided to drop the feature in iOS 17.4. This came under a lot of criticism and the European Commission was also critical. That is why the company is now backing away from the choice, making it possible to continue webapps to install. These still run on WebKit, in which case it does not matter which browser you use webapp have installed.
This is when you can update
You don’t have to wait long for iOS 17.4, because the update will be released this week at the latest. Apple has no other choice, as the new European legislation comes into effect on March 6. The company must therefore have implemented major changes before Wednesday, which will be incorporated into the new functions of iOS 17.4. A number of major changes are also coming to iPadOS 17.4, which will be released at the same time as iOS 17.4.
Also read: Apple must release iOS 17.4 soon – here’s why
Apple often releases new updates on Monday or Tuesday evenings, at 7:00 PM Dutch time. It is therefore expected that the final version of iOS 17.4 will be on Monday March 4 or Tuesday March 5 releases. Therefore, keep a close eye on your iPhone, because you can most likely update today or tomorrow!
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