{"id":49472,"date":"2025-10-03T14:18:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T18:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=49472"},"modified":"2025-10-03T14:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T18:18:29","slug":"web-apps-in-ios-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/03\/web-apps-in-ios-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Web Apps in iOS 26"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jen Simmons et al.<\/a> (Mastodon<\/a>):<\/p>\n

For the last 17 years, if the website had the specific meta<\/code> tag or Web Application Manifest display<\/code> value in it’s code, when a user added it to their Home Screen on iOS or iPadOS, tapping its icon opened it as a web app. If the website was not configured as such, tapping its icon opened the site in a browser. Users had no choice in the matter, nor visible way to understand why some sites behaved one way while others behaved another.<\/p>

On Mac, we took a different approach. When introducing Web Apps on Mac<\/a> in Sep 2023, we made the decision to always open websites added to the Dock as web apps. It doesn’t matter whether or not the website has a Web Application Manifest. Users get a consistent experience<\/a>. Add to Dock creates a web app.<\/p>

Now, we are revising the behavior on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. By default, every website added to the Home Screen opens as a web app. If the user prefers to add a bookmark for their browser, they can disable “Open as Web App” when adding to Home Screen — even if the site is configured to be a web app. The UI is always consistent, no matter how the site’s code is configured. And the power to define the experience is in the hands of users.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n