iOS 16.4 was released as a beta. It contains an interesting innovation for developers and users who do not or not exclusively rely on the Safari browser. Since the first iPhone, users have been able to add any website to their home screen – whether it’s a blog, newspaper, online store, social media platform, streaming video site, productivity software or any other type of website.
For the past decade, Safari users on iOS and iPadOS have been able to do this by tapping the Share button to open the Share menu and then tapping Add to Home Screen. The icon for that website will then appear on the home screen, from where you can tap to return to the website.
Web developers have the opportunity a manifest file (whose display element is set to “standalone” or “full screen”) and deploy them with your website. In this case, the website becomes a home screen web application. Then when you tap the icon, the web app will open like any other app on iOS or iPadOS instead of appearing in a browser. You can see app previews in the app switcher, separate from Safari or another browser.
In iOS and iPadOS 16.4 Beta 1, third-party browsers can now also offer their users the ability to add websites and web apps to the home screen via the Share menu. If there is no manifest file configured to request the behavior of a web app, then that website will be bookmarked for the home screen. Beginning with iOS and iPadOS 16.4 beta 1, home screen bookmarks now open in the user’s current default browser. Developers can opt out read here.
Transparency: This article contains affiliate links. Clicking on it will take you directly to the provider. If you decide to make a purchase there, we will receive a small commission. Nothing changes in the price for you. Partner links have no influence on our reporting.
