Apple will allow third-party browsers in the European Union to create web apps for the iPhone Home Screen using their own custom engines when iOS 18.2 launches later this year.
This expands on changes introduced in iOS 17.4, which first allowed third-party browsers in the EU to use non-WebKit engines for both standalone browsers and in-app browsing. Previously, Apple required all iOS browsers to use Safari's WebKit engine, including popular options like Chrome and Firefox.
According to new documentation on Apple's developer website spotted by 9to5Mac, the upcoming API will be exclusive to the EU and enable web apps to use the same custom engine as their parent browser.
The change follows Apple's reversal of an earlier decision to remove web app support entirely from EU devices - a move that prompted scrutiny from the European Commission. However, despite Apple announcing support for alternative browser engines like Chrome's Blink and Firefox's Gecko in January, these have yet to appear on iPhones.
iOS 18.2 will bring additional EU-specific changes, including the ability to completely remove core apps like the App Store, Safari, Messages, Camera, and Photos. Outside the EU, the update will introduce new Apple Intelligence features such as ChatGPT integration with Siri, Image Playground, custom Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, enhanced Writing Tools, and expanded language support. For all the details, don't miss our iOS 18.2 beta 1 roundup.