Yes. This kindly-worded "Our way or the highway" is a hallmark: "If the App Store model and guidelines are not best for your app or business idea that’s okay, we provide Safari for a great web experience too."
"We provide Safari for a great web experience too, but don't implement any standard APIs like push notifications, data persistence, bluetooth, NFC, add to homescreen prompt, icons, launch screen, themes that would actually make it a worthwhile alternative to the app store" is what they should have said.
There has been the ability add to the home screen since day 1. There were plenty of website that calculated where the “share” button was in the browser app and had a pop up to add to the home screen.
There is no option to do so from any other browser other than Safari. And even in Safari, the most a website can do is guide users through the open settings -> swipe -> scroll -> click button -> enter title -> hit ok flow.
So now that you were factually proven to be incorrect you want to move the goal posts?
The initial post that we both responded to clearly stated Safari.
> We provide Safari for a great web experience too, but don't implement any standard APIs like push notifications, data persistence, bluetooth, NFC, add to homescreen prompt, icons, launch screen, themes that would actually make it a worthwhile alternative to the app store" is what they should have said.
My initial argument was that Apple does not provide standard APIs - and they don't - so I don't see how there is any moving of goal posts. There is no way for a website to prompt a dialog to add itself to the home screen, despite it existing in the HTML spec and all other major browsers. In addition to that Apple forces other browsers to use its own web view, and doesn't expose the add to home screen functionality there either.
Whether that was your “initial argument” or not, your statement
> And even in Safari, the most a website can do is guide users through the open settings -> swipe -> scroll -> click button -> enter title -> hit ok flow.
You addressed one of those complaints, showing it to be wrong. You did not address the other complaint, and it was not "moving the goalpoats" to repeat it.
Abused by spammers even on supposed reputable sites like PC Mag and Toms Hardware. I’ve made the mistake of clicking on Ok on my computer since every site now forces you to acknowledge that they use cookies. It’s back to the toolbars of old level of annoyance. I would be okay if only websites that were added to your home screen could ask for permission.
> data persistent.
iOS has supported localStorage since 2007
> bluetooth, NFC
How many “web apps” are really being held back by either? And Apple and to a lesser extent Mozilla has said some of the standards are privacy invasive.
