iOS 26.2: Alternative Browser Engines in Japan
Apple (Hacker News):
In iOS 26.2 and later, browser engines other than WebKit can be used in two types of apps for users in Japan: Dedicated browser apps that provide a full web browser experience, and apps from browser engine stewards that provide in-app browsing experiences using an embedded browser engine.
[…]
To help keep users safe online, Apple will only authorize developers to implement alternative browser engines after meeting specific criteria and who commit to a number of ongoing privacy and security requirements, including timely security updates to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
Previously:
- iOS 26.2
- iOS 26.2: App Marketplaces and Search Engine Choice in Japan
- Japanese Mobile Software Competition Act
- Apple’s Browser Engine Ban Persists, Even Under the DMA
- DMA Compliance: Alternative Browser Engines
- The Time to Fix Web Security Bugs
- The Danger of Sideloading Chromium
2 Comments RSS · Twitter · Mastodon
Of course, I've yet to see any "alternative browser engines" (out of the EU, etc.)
Free choice of web browsers and side loading are the main two things I've been wanting from iOS since it was called iPhone OS. Glad to see the regulators squeezing this out of them, even if it's taking heroic efforts over all these years!
I bought it. It's my computer. Let me run what I want. So much to ask…
