Apple iOS 16.4 to Let Safari Web App Send Push Notifications on iPhones

Teejay Boris, Tech Times 17 February 2023, 02:02 am

Apple iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 are gearing up to bring Safari web app push notifications to iPhones and iPads.

The Cupertino-based tech giant first mentioned such a feature when it introduced the iOS during the WWDC event in June 2022.

(Photo : JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
A customer uses her new smartphone during the release of the iPhone 6s at an Apple store in Shanghai on September 25, 2015. Apple launched the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on September 25 featuring 3D touch screen technology.

And this time, the latest beta of the iPhone operating system includes the new push notification option for web apps.

Apple iOS 16.4's Safari Web App Push Notifications Support

As per a recent report by The Verge, iPhones, as well as iPads, lets their users create Safari web apps on the home screen of their mobile devices. This feature has long been available, allowing Apple users to access their favorite sites similar to how actual apps work.

However, unlike apps that were actually downloaded from the Apple App Store, these Safari web apps lack any option that lets them send users to push notifications. So you might end up missing updates if you fail to visit these web apps frequently.

But this time, it looks like the renowned phone maker is now working to change this limitation. The beta versions of iOS and iPadOS 16.4 are now available, which offers long-awaited push notification support for these web apps.

So after a couple of months since Apple vowed to bring it, the new notification option is closely reaching its final form. For now, iPhone and iPad users have to install the latest software beta on their devices for them to get their hands on it.

But how does it work anyway? Is it similar to how actual apps send push notifications?

How Notification Support for Web Apps Work

Mac Rumors notes in its report that the web app notifications work a lot like how native apps are doing so.

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Attendees examine a brand new iPhone 14 Pro during an Apple special event on September 07, 2022 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the new iPhone 14 as well as new versions of the Apple Watch, including the Apple Watch SE, a low-cost version of the popular timepiece that will start at $249.

These Safari web apps would send push notifications using the Notification API, Push API, and Service Workers.

The Apple WebKit team notes that "a web app that has been added to the Home Screen can request permission to receive push notifications as long as that request is in reports to direct user interaction."

It includes activities like "tapping on a 'subscribe' button provided by the web app."

On top of that, iPhone and iPad users can also enable and disabled it via the Notifications Settings, alongside the options for other native apps on their devices.

Given that iOS 16.4 has recently entered its beta testing phase. It might not take long before this new notification support rolls out to the stable version.