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

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

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
M4 mini Glowing Blue

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished M4 Macs

Wednesday February 12, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today added MacBook Pro and Mac mini models with M4 series chips to its certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland for the first time since the computers were introduced in October 2024. Some refurbished MacBook Pro models with M4 chips are also available in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and select other European countries. ...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
Apple Ad on X

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Wednesday February 12, 2025 2:18 pm PST by
Apple this month started advertising on X for the first time in more than a year. The company had stopped advertising on the social media platform in November 2023 following controversial remarks made by its owner Elon Musk. For example, the @Apple account is running an ad promoting Safari's privacy features. The ad was spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The @AppleTV account has a...

Top Rated Comments

mastercheif91 Avatar
26 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 Avatar
26 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 Avatar
26 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 ?️ Avatar
26 months ago

Macrumors notifications when?
I'm not sure if you are ready for those. Are you? ??



Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jakexb Avatar
26 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)
redbeard331 Avatar
26 months ago
Macrumors notifications when?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)