iOS 16.4 adds push notification support for web apps

One of the new features of iOS 16.4, the beta of which is available today, is support for push notifications for web apps. These can thus be at the same level as the applications that are downloaded from the App Store.

The arrival of push notifications on web apps is not in itself a surprise, Apple announced this feature in June 2022 during the presentation of iOS 16 at WWDC. So she finally makes her debut.

Websites that are registered as a web app on the iPhone or iPad home screen can therefore send notifications to users through the Notification and Push APIs, as well as Service Workers. The web app can request authorization from the user, like applications from the App Store.

Here is whatnoted Apple:

A web app that has been added to the home screen can request permission to receive push notifications, provided that this request is made in response to direct user interaction, such as pressing a button subscription provided by the web app. iOS or iPadOS will prompt the user to allow the web app to send notifications. The user can then manage these permissions per web app in the notification settings, just like any other app on the iPhone and iPad.

Other new features in Safari with iOS 16.4 include Focus support for managing push notifications, badge for site notification counter, third-party browser support for adding to the home screen and more.