Do PWAs Work on iPhone? (Progressive Web Apps for iOS)

In this article, we’re going to break down how (or if) Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) work on iOS devices.

PWAs are a great way to serve a better website experience to visitors on mobile, who account for more than half of all web users today. 

Progressive Web Apps allow you to deliver an app-like experience without the huge expense of native app development. However, as you’ll see, PWAs can’t quite measure up to native apps, especially for iPhone users.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about PWAs on iOS.

Trying to decide whether a PWA or a native app is right for your business? Let us help. Get a free consultation call and we'll help you figure out the best course of action to boost mobile engagement and retention for your brand.

Current Status of PWAs on iOS

Progressive Web Apps do work on iOS, though with a few things to be aware of. Here’s an up-to-date summary of the state of iOS PWAs.

Apple removed (then restored) PWA support in the EU

The big news regarding iOS PWAs is Apple’s stance on PWAs for EU iOS users.

In February 2024, news came out that Apple had removed support for Progressive Web Apps in the EU.

This was confirmed on their official website documentation. Under the FAQ heading “Why don’t users in the EU have access to Home Screen web apps?”, Apple confirmed that it was a conscious decision (not a bug), to remove PWA functionality in the EU to help comply with the newly passed Digital Markets Act (DMA).

However, Apple has since posted an update to this message, saying that support for Home Screen apps (PWAs) is being brought back:

“Previously, Apple announced plans to remove the Home Screen web apps capability in the EU as part of our efforts to comply with the DMA. The need to remove the capability was informed by the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps to support alternative browser engines that would require building a new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS.

We have received requests to continue to offer support for Home Screen web apps in iOS, therefore we will continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU. This support means Home Screen web apps continue to be built directly on WebKit and its security architecture, and align with the security and privacy model for native apps on iOS.”

Source: developer.apple.com

iOS PWAs only work with Safari

To run and install a PWA on an iPhone, you must use the Safari browser.

While this won’t affect most iPhone users (it’s estimated that around 80% of iOS users use Safari as their default browser), it does lower overall usability of PWAs on iPhones.

No automatic install prompt on iOS devices

Android PWAs can prompt visitors to install the app on their home screen, with a banner that automatically appears when the user lands on the site, which features a button that lets users install the app with one click.

This is not possible on Safari, however. Users need to do this manually. And while it only takes a couple of extra clicks, it significantly decreases visibility for awareness of the fact that the website can be installed on the user’s home screen, and thus will result in significantly fewer installs.

You can use push notifications (with limitations)

Push notifications are possible with PWAs on iOS 16.4 or later. There are a couple of hoops to jump through, however.

You will need to set up an opt-in functionality to get the user’s permission to send push notifications from your Progressive Web App. 

You’ll also need to configure some things (primarily service workers and integration with Apple's Push API) in the backend code of your Progressive Web App to handle push notifications (and permissions received from users).

See more in Apple’s official developer documentation.

Limited data usage, device integration and offline functionality

Progressive Web Apps on iOS offer something closer to an app-like experience, but have a few limitations in terms of how they work offline, and how they integrate with the user’s device, compared to native apps and PWAs on Android.

These include:

• Storage of offline files limited to 50mb.
• Limited USB/Bluetooth functionality.
• No access to advanced payment integrations (Apple Pay does work).
• No Face ID, Touch ID, ARKit (Augmented Reality).
• No background sync.
• No integration with Siri.

No App Store distribution

You can’t publish your Progressive Web App in Apple’s App Store. Generally speaking, users will need to come to your website and install the PWA manually, by saving it to their home screen.

There are workarounds for this - you can use a service (or write code yourself) to create the framework of a native Swift app around your PWA, and publish that app to the App Store. But Apple’s guidelines for apps published in the App Store are relatively strict, so if you choose to go this route, you may find it takes a lot of work to make your PWA app store compliant.

Want to get your brand in the app stores? It's easy with MobiLoud. We do all the work to bring your website to life as native apps, including submitting your apps to the app stores for publishing. To learn more, book a free demo with one of our app experts now.

How to Add a PWA to Home Screen on iOS

Though lacking the visibility and one-click install capability of Progressive Web Apps on Android, installing a PWA on iOS is fairly quick and straightforward.

First, the user will need to visit the PWA website. From there, they can add it to their home screen with a three-step process:

1. Click the “share” icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Scroll down and click “Add to Home Screen”.
3. Confirm by clicking “Add”.

This will add a launcher icon to the home screen of the user's mobile device. When the user taps on the app icon, the PWA will open.

Check out this video for a quick walkthrough:

Is Building a PWA Worth It?

Progressive Web Apps on iOS are usable, but come with a range of limitations.

• Support for PWAs was briefly removed for iOS users in the EU, and while it was subsequently restored, it’s a sign that Apple is not totally in favor of PWAs.
• PWAs on iOS only work with Safari.
• iOS PWAs don’t have automatic install prompts, have limited offline capabilities and integration with device features, and can’t be published on the App Store.
• Web push notifications are possible with iOS PWAs, but take extra work to set up, and come with stricter permission requirements from users.

So, with all those limitations considered, is it worth it to build a Progressive Web App?

In our opinion, yes. A Progressive Web App still provides a better user experience, particularly on mobile, than a standard responsive website.

The ability for a user to add it to their home screen is a plus, as is the ability to send push notifications, even if these features are limited compared to native apps and Progressive Web Apps on Android.

Building the necessary components for a Progressive Web App is not a massive undertaking, so unlocking modest benefits for iPhone users (on top of more extensive functionality for users on Android) will be worth it in most cases.

Related: 5 Benefits of Building an Ecommerce PWA for Your Online Store

Should You Build a PWA or a Native App?

PWAs are naturally seen as a cheaper alternative to native mobile apps. As we’ve seen, there are certainly a number of shortcomings PWAs have when comparing them to true native apps.

At the same time, PWAs have some advantages:

• Most importantly, they’re significantly cheaper and quicker to build. You don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a project lasting 6+ months, as you would with a native app.
• PWAs are discoverable by Google, and offer an improved mobile browsing experience to a wider share of users, by being accessible in the browser.
• PWAs are naturally cross-platform (outside of not working on certain browsers on iOS), which further adds to convenience for users.

Strictly in terms of user experience and value to a business, PWAs are not as good as native apps. Yet for small businesses with a limited budget, it likely makes more sense to create a PWA website than to invest in fully native apps, or even custom cross-platform apps.

However, with MobiLoud, you can get the best of both worlds - a cheap, efficient PWA combined with a mobile app that can harness the full power of push notifications, enter the app stores, and provide a more immersive user experience on mobile devices - without the huge cost of native apps.

Read more: How Progressive Web Apps compare to Native Mobile Apps

Unlock a Wider Audience and Convert Your PWA to a Mobile App

While PWAs have a lot of advantages, they don't offer the same level of functionality and user experience you get with a mobile app.

Mobile apps are easier for users to download, can be published to the app stores with no hassle, and have full access to native push notifications.

MobiLoud makes building a mobile app for your business easy. Our service turns your website into mobile apps, without having to rebuild from scratch, with a managed process that requires no work or expertise from your team.

If you're trying to decide between building a PWA or a mobile app, MobiLoud makes the cost and time investment of building a mobile app significantly lower, and much closer to what you'd spend building a PWA.

If you already have a PWA, or want both a PWA and mobile app, MobiLoud is perfect too. We can turn your PWA into a mobile app, giving you the benefits of both - a PWA for your web visitors, and native apps for your loyal users who prefer to use an app.

These apps offer 95% of what you’d get from a fully custom app, but with a much lower investment.

Instead of paying five, even six figures for a custom mobile app, you can go live for a low-four figure investment up front, with a fraction of the overhead that mobile apps typically require,

All the work to build, test and publish your apps is done for you by our team, including submitting your apps to the app stores for approval. Start to finish, the process can take as little as two weeks.

To see what’s possible for your Progressive Web App, book a free consultation today. One of our project managers will walk you through the process, show you an interactive preview of your app, and help you understand the incredible impact a mobile app can make for your business.