Apple’s iOS 17.4 update should arrive any moment now, along with game-changing new features that will transform your iPhone forever.
Apple’s iOS 17.4 comes with huge implications for iPhone users located in the EU, as the upgrade enables sideloading of iOS, opening up the App Store and platform to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) for the first time.
Apple’s iOS 17.4 update should arrive any moment now, complete with game-changing new features … [+]
This week, when Apple released iOS 17.4 beta 3, even more was revealed—and many iPhone users in the EU are unhappy with the new changes to Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s biggest iPhone software update ever.
Apple’s iOS 17.4 allows iOS sideloading
The main change in iOS 17.4—at least for EU users—is the fact that the upgrade opens up the iPhone to sideloading apps. Sideloading has been possible for Google’s Android users for some time, but Apple’s locked-down ecosystem is why many security-conscious users buy an iPhone.
The iPhone maker acknowledges that the iOS 17.4 changes will affect security and has been vocal about the safeguards it has put in place to protect users. At least for now, Apple will only allow certain app stores it calls “App Marketplaces” to distribute apps, following its own rules and regulations.
It also uses notarization for iOS apps, a form of security verification that checks for malicious code, as well as marketplace developer authorization and alternative payment detection.
However, even with these safeguards, “many risks remain,” Apple said.
iOS 17.4 removes support for home screen web apps
Earlier this month, EU users of the iOS 17.4 beta noticed that they could not launch web apps on their iPhone’s home screen. Some people thought it might be a bug, but unfortunately it’s now clear that’s not the case.
Apple has confirmed that PWAs were intentionally removed and will not work in iOS 17.4 for EU users, according to 9to5Mac.
In an update on its developer website, Apple explains that the move in iOS 17.4 to no longer support PWAs allows for compliance with the DMA, which stipulates that it supports alternative browser engines in the EU.
The catch is that the regulation means that, for the first time, companies can build browsers that aren’t based on Apple’s WebKit engine. The resulting security threat means it has to remove web apps from the Start screen in iOS 17.4, Apple says.
As of iOS 17.4, Apple also removed support for home screen web apps in Safari to comply with the DMA, since it would be unfair to give your own browser priority over those it doesn’t allow.
Apple explains the move:
“iOS has traditionally provided support for Home Screen web apps by building directly on WebKit and its security architecture. This integration means that web apps on the home screen are managed to conform to the security and privacy model for native iOS apps, including storage isolation and enforcement of system queries to access privacy-affecting capabilities on a per-page basis.
“Without this type of isolation and enforcement, malicious web apps could read data from other web apps and retake their permissions to gain access to a user’s camera, microphone, or location without the user’s consent. Browsers can also install web applications on the system without the user’s knowledge and consent.”
Starting with iOS 17.4, EU users will be able to continue accessing web pages directly from the home screen via a bookmark.
Many people are unhappy with the PWA changes, and encrypted email provider Proton is questioning Apple’s motives.
However, Sean Wright, head of application security at Featurespace, says he can “relate to the thought and reasoning behind Apple’s decision.”
“With the ability to download and install browsers from sources outside of Apple’s control and visibility, they are concerned that they may not adhere to the security and privacy standards they would like to enforce,” Wright explains.
Wright therefore agrees with Apple’s PWA change for iOS 17.4. “We have to keep in mind that many users will not have the technical knowledge and know-how to protect themselves, so this allows Apple to help, to some extent.”
At the same time, though, Wright says he’s “curious to see if there’s any detail from Apple about how much of a risk this is.”
“At the end of the day, we have open systems like Android and it doesn’t seem to be too much of a risk, at least right now.”
Other notable features of iOS 17.4
One of the main features in iOS 17.3 is Anti-Theft Protection, and iOS 17.4 will further improve this popular anti-theft feature. Currently, the feature requires people to be authenticated via Face ID or Touch ID, and there’s a one-hour delay when security settings are changed, unless Apple detects they’re in a known location. Starting with iOS 17.4, Apple will add a feature that allows you to request a one-hour delay from all locations.
Why iOS 17.4 is a game changer for all iPhone users
It’s definitely a game-changing update, and it won’t be long in coming—iOS 17.4 is coming very soon. Apple has to release its update in early March to meet the March 6 deadline, so expect it late this month or early next.
When it arrives, there’s no doubt that iOS 17.4 is a significant update for users in the EU, with implications that also affect the rest of the world. Opening up the App Store is a big deal for the iPhone maker, and regulation in the UK could force it even though the country is no longer in the EU.
As for the rest of the world, can users and regulators request an extension of the changes in iOS 17.4? Anything is possible, but for now Apple will try to make sure its walled garden is as strong as possible for as long as possible.