iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 Betas Add Support for Web Push Notifications

Thursday February 16, 2023 10:53 am PST by Juli Clover

The iOS and iPadOS 16.4 betas that were seeded to developers today add support for web push notifications, a feature that Apple promised would be coming to iOS 16 back in June.

ios 16 4 web push notifications
Websites that are saved as web apps to the Home Screen can send iPhone and iPad users Web Push notifications through the Push API, Notifications API, and Service Workers. A web app added to the ‌Home Screen‌ can ask the user permission to send push notifications, as described by Apple's WebKit team.

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 response to direct user interaction -- such as tapping on a 'subscribe' button provided by the web app. iOS or iPadOS will prompt the user to give the web app permission to send notifications. The user can then manage those permissions per web app in Notifications Settings -- just like any other app on iPhone and iPad.

Notifications from websites are designed to work exactly like notifications from other apps, showing up on the Lock Screen in Notification Center and on a paired Apple Watch.

Other new Safari 16.4 features include support for Focus for managing Safari Push Notifications, badge counts for website push notifications, third-party browser support for Add to ‌Home Screen‌, and more.

Related Forum: iOS 16

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Top Rated Comments

mastercheif91

40 months ago

Never have I ever wanted a notification from a website.

Hopefully Apple makes it easy and obvious on how to fully disable web notification requests.

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Lounge vibes 05

40 months ago

If anyone wants to know why, it’s not because it was a highly requested feature.
It’s because a part of the investigations under Apple for anti-trust involving the App Store are the claims that they treat web apps worse, and don’t give them the same functionalitie as AppStore apps.
This would include functionality like… Oh, I don’t know… Push notifications maybe?
“Third-party app stores should be permitted and users should not be prevented from sideloading apps outside a gatekeeper’s own app store. Legislative and regulatory measures should prohibit restrictions on sideloading, alternative app stores, and web apps.
Requirements that ban developers from using alternative in-app payment systems should be banned.
Third-party web browser apps should be able to offer full functionality and not face browser engine restrictions .
Pre-installed apps, default options, and anticompetitive self-preferencing should be limited, including in search results.
Users should be able to choose their own apps as defaults and delete or hide pre-installed apps.
App store review processes should be more transparent.”
From:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/03/biden-report-recommends-apple-ecosystem-changes/

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

antibolo

40 months ago

So now Safari on iOS will have the same annoying "do you want notifications for this website" popups as you get on desktop browsers?

No thanks.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️

40 months ago

Macrumors notifications when?

I'm not sure if you are ready for those. Are you? 📵🔕

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Jakexb

40 months ago

WOW!

I never thought they would do this. Seriously it's one of the only reason most apps are apps. Almost everything else an app does, a mobile website can do... except get notifications.

Now there is literally no reason to have a Twitter app or a Facebook app or any messaging app. You can just save the mobile website to the homescreen and still get your notifs.

My assumption was that Apple was dragging their feet on this because they knew they would lose App Store revenue if a website could do all the things a native app could do.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)