Apple has now officially announced iOS 16 during the WWDC 2022 keynote with several new features, including a completely redesigned lock screen with widgets and improvements to several system apps. With the update, Apple's web browser Safari now supports web push notifications and extension synchronization, among other things.
One of the biggest criticisms of the iOS version of Safari is the lack of push notifications for web apps, meaning websites can't notify a user when Safari is running in the background—although this is already possible on the Mac. With iOS 16, this is now a reality. The first signs of push notifications for web apps appeared in iOS 15.4. However, the feature never worked because it was labeled "experimental." According to Apple's website, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will finally enable web push notifications—but there's a catch.
iOS 16: Web push notifications available from 2023
Apple saysthat the feature will arrive in 2023 with an update to iOS 16, so it won't be available at launch. At least now the company has finally confirmed that it's working on web push notifications. Apple's web browser is also getting support for extension syncing, so you can enable the same extensions on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It also supports image translation with Live Text, new password settings for websites, and shared tab groups. iOS 16 also adds FIDO support to Safari, allowing users to log in with Touch ID or Face ID instead of an alphanumeric password. Registered developers can download the first beta version of iOS 16 now from the Apple Developer website. A public beta will be available next month, with the official release expected in the fall. (Photo by Unsplash / Miguel Tomás)
