Apple’s most recent iOS 17.4 beta 2 update has caused issues for users in the European Union, particularly affecting Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) as an alternative to native iOS applications.

Security researcher Tommy Mysk and the Open Web Advocacy group were the first to highlight these changes, which have put web apps at a significant disadvantage within Europe.

The alterations in iOS 17.4 beta 2 prevent PWAs from launching in standalone, full-screen windows, limiting their functionality to operate within Safari as mere shortcuts. This change severely impacts user experience and strips PWAs of essential features such as dedicated windowing, notifications, and long-term local storage.

This move by Apple contradicts previous suggestions that developers wanting to avoid App Store guidelines could create web apps instead. The company had previously presented developers with a choice between the open web versus the App Store, but these latest findings raise questions about Apple’s stance on web apps.

According to the Open Web Advocacy group, “The simple fact is it doesn’t matter if this is incompetence or malice, the end result is the same. Unusably poor support for Web Apps on iOS. Apple does not face effective browser competition, leading to show-stopping iOS web bugs with shocking regularity.”

Last month, Apple announced significant updates to iOS, Safari, and the App Store in alignment with the EU’s Digital Market’s Act. However, some speculate that this issue with breaking web apps may be geo-locked to EU users based on SIM carrier information since these web apps worked elsewhere.

It remains to be seen whether this change will be reversed in the next beta of iOS 17.4 or not. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story!