Recently, WebKit, the web browser engine used by Apple’s Safari web browser, announced that they have added support for web push notifications for web apps on iOS and iPadOS. This is a significant development as previously, web push notifications were not supported on Apple’s mobile operating systems, which limited the functionality of web apps on these devices.
Web push notifications are a feature that allows websites to send notifications to users even when they are not actively using the website. This means that web apps can now send push notifications to users on iOS and iPadOS, just like native apps have been able to do for years. With this new feature, web apps can now send notifications to users about updates, new content, or other important information, even when the user is not actively using the app.
To use web push notifications on iOS and iPadOS, web app developers need to use the Web Push API, which is a standard API that is supported by most modern web browsers. This API allows web apps to register for push notifications and receive them when they are sent by the server. WebKit has implemented this API in Safari on iOS and iPadOS, which means that web apps can now use it to send push notifications to users on these devices.
To enable push notifications for a web app, users need to give permission for the app to send notifications. This can be done by clicking on a prompt that appears when the app is first launched or by going to the app’s settings and enabling notifications manually. Once the user has given permission, the app can send push notifications to the user’s device, even when the app is not active.
In conclusion, the addition of support for web push notifications in WebKit for iOS and iPadOS is a significant development for web app developers. With this new feature, web apps can now send push notifications to users on Apple’s mobile operating systems, which was not possible before. NIX Solutions notes that this opens up new possibilities for web app developers and makes web apps on iOS and iPadOS more powerful and user-friendly.