Apple Inc. AAPL confirmed its deliberate obstruction of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) functionality in the latest iOS 17.4 update for users in the European Union (EU).

Discovery of the Issue: EU users noticed the problem with the initial iOS 17.4 beta release. PWAs, also known as “Home Screen web apps” by Apple, were not functioning as expected. Subsequent beta versions exacerbated the situation, with no improvements in the latest beta, as reported by Apple Insider on Thursday.

Apple maintained silence until it updated the Q&A section on its developer website about the EU changes. The company attributed the issue to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and clarified that the PWAs will not be restored to their previous state in the EU.

Apple explained that to comply with the DMA, it had to undertake significant engineering work, adding over 600 new APIs and various developer tools for the EU. Based on WebKit and its security architecture, Apple’s traditional iOS system support for Home Screen web apps was removed due to the DMA’s stipulations.

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Significance: Apple’s recent changes in the EU are part of its efforts to comply with the DMA. The company rolled out the third beta version of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 for developers, introducing a range of new features and significant changes primarily aimed at the EU. These changes include alternative app marketplaces, different payment systems, third-party browser engine support, and NFC access for banks and payment providers, exclusively in the EU and unavailable in other regions.

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