Apple released the first beta of iOS 15.4 to developers and public beta users last week. The update includes several new features, hinting at some welcome changes to Safari. More specifically, Apple is finally working on enabling push notifications for web apps on iOS, as well as the WebXR API for AR/VR headset support.

As stated by developer Maximiliano Firtman, the iOS 15.4 beta introduces new features that can be used by websites and web apps. One of them is support for generic custom icons, so developers no longer need to add specific code to provide web application icons for iOS devices.

For four years we’ve had Safari on iOS support the Web App Manifest (from 11.3 to March 2018), but the icon declaration was always ignored (Apple or WebKit never documented a lack of support, btw). This causes many Progressive Web App installs on iOS to not have the correct icon because you also need to add a with rel=apple-touch-icon in the HTML, which not every PWA developer does.

However, the most notable change is yet to come – and that is push notifications for web apps. While Safari on macOS allows websites to alert users when a web page is in the background (or in some cases even when the app is closed), Apple has never enabled the same feature on iOS.

Fortunately, that appears to be about to change. As Firtman points out, the iOS 15.4 beta adds new “built-in web notifications” and “push API” toggles to WebKit experimental features in Safari settings. Neither option worked in beta 1, but it’s a strong indication that Apple will eventually enable push notifications for websites and web apps on iOS.

Due to App Store guidelines, some developers are forced to publish their apps as web apps on iOS (such as the xCloud app), and these enhancements are sure to make the experience of using web apps on iPhone and iPad a lot better better.

Interestingly, the iOS 15.4 beta now has the WebXR API, which powers augmented reality and virtual reality headsets on the website. The API is disabled by default, but even if enabled, there are currently no AR/VR headsets for iOS. Apple is rumored to be launching its first mixed reality headset by the end of the year, and the new API could be related to Apple’s new device.

iOS 15.4 is expected to be officially released to the public this spring.

Complete News Source : 9to5Mac