With the iOS 17.4 update, Apple is making sweeping changes to iOS in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union. Apple is opening up the browser, and giving users more choice over what apps and services they use as the defaults on their devices.
Safari will no longer be the only default browser option available, with third-party apps like Chrome now able to be set as the default, similar to how browsers work on Mac.
Users in the EU who update to iOS 17.4 will be presented with a splash screen upon opening Safari that allows them to choose a new default browser. Apple is not providing just the standard browsers that have been options on iOS in the past, but a list of the most downloaded browsers on iOS devices. Some of the options include Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge.
A browser app set as the system default will open when any link is tapped across the iPhone, such as in a message or in an email.
Browser apps can also now use browser engines other than WebKit, both for browser apps and in-app browsing experiences within apps. At the current time, Apple requires all browsers on iOS to use the WebKit engine, including popular options like Chrome and Firefox. Going forward, Chrome will be able to use Blink, for example.
Users will also be able to choose a default app marketplace, thanks to support for alternative marketplaces, and they will be able to select a default contactless app for contactless payments. These changes are limited to ?iPhone? and iPad users in the European Union, and they are being implemented as part of iOS 17.4, which is available to developers as a beta as of today.Related Roundups: iOS 17, iPadOS 17Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17This article, “Apple Now Allowing Third-Party Default Browsers and Non-WebKit Engines in EU” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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Author: Juli Clover