Apple has revealed that iOS 16.4 will include support for web push notifications, allowing websites to send Safari push notifications to iPhone and iPad users.
The new feature will mean websites (with consent) will be able to send notifications to users, regardless of if they have an app on the App Store or not. It will mean businesses that don’t have apps would be able to share updates with customers easily through third-party push notification services.
Web push notifications were first rumored when Apple released iOS 15.4 which brought changes in the Web platform, with the update bringing “Built-In Web Notifications” and “Push API” toggles in the Experimental WebKit Features settings screen.
According to Apple, websites will only be able to send notifications to a user once they have added the website to the Home Screen on their device.
A web app that has been added to the Home Screen can request permission to receive push notifications as long as that request is in response to direct user interaction — such as tapping on a ‘subscribe’ button provided by the web app. iOS or iPadOS will prompt the user to give the web app permission to send notifications. The user can then manage those permissions per web app in Notifications Settings — just like any other app on iPhone and iPad.
Apple says the notifications from web apps will work exactly like notifications from other apps. They will show on the Lock Screen, in Notification Center, and on a paired Apple Watch.