Apple confirms iOS 17.4 removes Home Screen web apps in EU

Last week, iPhone users in the European Union noticed that they could no longer install and run web apps on their iPhone's Home screen in iOS 17.4. With the move to iOS 17.4, websites added to the Home screen now only act as bookmarks that open a new tab in your browser, rather than (potentially) standalone services capable of performing actions such as sending notifications and displaying icons. However, one unpopular change is the end of support for apps downloaded from the browser to the Home Screen in EU countries.

Although Apple has been adding functionality to support progressive web apps on the iPhone for years, it has been forced to drop this capability due to the requirements of new digital marketplace legislation. Apple argues that this is a security risk, noting that "malicious web apps can read data from other web apps and restore their permissions to gain access to a user's camera, microphone, or location without the user's consent."

Source: Apple