Apple will prompt users to set default browsers and allow third-party web engines on iPhone in the EU

Apple is making major changes to how web browsers can operate on iPhone for customers in the EU. iOS 17.4 will introduce the option to set your preferred default browser when you initially launch Safari, and browser makers will be able to use other browser engines.

Default browsers

First up is a change to default browsers. Third-party browsers have been a thing on the App Store for ages, and Apple enabled default browser choice in iOS 14. Starting with iOS 17.4, launching Safari for the first time will prompt users to set a default browser, including Safari. Third-party browser examples include:

• Microsoft Edge
• Brave
• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Opera
• and DuckDuckGo.

For EU customers, Safari will now prompt users to set a default browser, making the option more prominent.

Browser engines

As mentioned at the top, Apple is opening up the iPhone to allow third-party browsers that use different web engines than Safari. Third-party browsers to date have had control over appearance and feature sets, but the WebKit engine behind Safari was the only web engine approved by Apple. Chrome, for example, only uses WebKit on iOS. Blink is the web engine used by Chrome on all other platforms.

As part of iOS 17.4, Apple is introducing new APIs that will enable developers to take advantage of these new features, including in-app browsers. Developers can learn more about the requirements here.

Again, both web browser policy changes are only being introduced for iPhone customers in the European Union. Customers in the United States and other countries not in the EU will continue with the status quo: no third-party default browsers, and no alternative web engines.

These moves are to bring Apple in compliance with the Digital Markets Act that goes into effect in March. Apple is also making other major changes to App Store policy and more.

Correction: I previously stated that third-party browser functionality was new in iOS 17.4 for EU markets. These feature has been available for all markets since 2020. The default browser update is specifically the new prompt when launching Safari for the first time in iOS 17.4. My apologies!