Apple is phasing out UIWebView, which is used by developers for integrating web content into an app in a quick and secure manner. Apple is replacing UIWebView (and WebView) with WKWebView, an updated version, as UIWebView has been deprecated.
Apple originally told developers that app updates with UIWebView would no longer be accepted as of December 2020, but Apple is now providing additional time for developers to adopt WKWebView and has extended the deadline period. There's no new deadline in place at this time, with Apple planning to provide an update at a later time.
Along with the deadline extension, Apple today also informed developers that App Store server notifications are able to provide real-time updates on a subscriber's status, allowing for customized user experiences.
There's an option to be notified when a subscriber auto-renews and an option that lets you know when the App Store begins asking users to agree to a new subscription price, letting developers send reminders about a service's value.
Top Rated Comments
Basically, what Apple is saying is that they no longer care about any of those interesting corner cases that WKWebView can't handle, and that developers who need to do these things should choose another platform. That's why folks are shocked that Apple is doing this, just like we were all shocked when they deprecated UIWebView before making WKWebView a full-featured replacement.
Implementation of this ridiculous policy doesn't need to be delayed. It needs to be canceled outright until such time as WKWebView can replace EVERY use case for UIWebView. Best case is late 2021.
Also, your logic is weird. If they disallow UIWebView in iOS 15 even for old apps, this will only lead to fewer developer paying $99: If you want an app in the store, be it old or new, you have to pay every year. So if you can’t/don’t want to update your code, there is no point in paying the annual fee. If Apple would allow old apps to remain without changes, more developers would pay the fee. So deprecation leads to fewer developers paying, not more.