Apple introduced a bunch of new capabilities for web apps with iOS 16.4, including access to push notifications and permission for third-party apps to add web apps to the iPhone and iPad Home Screen. Now popular web browser Google Chrome is taking advantage of these new features, as its latest update lets users add their favorite websites to the iOS Home Screen.
You can now add web apps to your iPhone or iPad using Google Chrome
As noted by Chris Messina, the latest update to Google Chrome for iOS provides an option that lets users add web apps to the Home Screen. This means that anyone can now save a website for quick access on the Home Screen without having to leave Chrome and use Safari. Previously, this option was restricted to Apple’s web browser.
“You can now add URLs or Progressive Web Apps to your home screen,” the release notes for this week’s update said. Of course, this requires the latest version of Google Chrome for iOS and also a device running iOS 16.4 or later – as previous versions of the operating system don’t have this API.
When a web app is added to the iOS Home Screen, you can open and use it as if it were a regular app, which means you won’t be redirected to open it in Safari, Google Chrome, or another web browser. With iOS 16.4 or later, these web apps can also provide you with push notifications, just like native apps.
Apple has been putting a lot of effort into finally embracing web apps. With macOS Sonoma, which is available as beta software and will be officially released later this year, Mac users can also save websites as web apps using Safari. Some believe these changes are an attempt by Apple to dodge accusations of anti-competitive practices when it comes to the App Store.
Google Chrome for iOS is available for free on the App Store, and it works with both iPhone and iPad. If you already have the app installed, make sure you download the latest update to get the latest features.
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