But wouldn't that make it have less privacy? Now my webapp cannot be used offline and anonymously, user has to be logged in and tracked
But most apps cannot be used offline at all, and instead they use localstorage as another place that can store tracking cookie. So as a user, I fully support this change, because there should not be a loophole like this.
Storing JWTs, game state data, etc.
This is also why it is important to load your apps JS on your domain or same-origin and not offloaded to a 3rd party server which you might not control (libraries like jQuery CDNs and whatnot are still a minor risk, particularly from a privacy perspective, but not as bad, although I never saw the point with the large variety of versions).
Server side, or if you need privacy, have the user export to / import from a local file.
Apps are bundles of code/assets that people choose to install on a computer because they want to use them over time to do something. They have a clear lifecycle of installation and deletion that the user has complete control over.
I know the web app, PWA, offline app, etc. stuff is very popular, but it will never be as good as native apps, and it creates an expectation that every browser will expand its functionality until it is effectively a full operating system.
I think the only reasonable case for the web-as-app model, is things that get installed to the home screen, in the sense that the user is then again given control of the lifecycle, but I would still honestly prefer that people just write a native application.
> you didn't build an app, you built a web page
"Progressive web apps use modern web APIs"
The word application is there twice. I don't have to like it.
> they are just web pages that exist in a web browser for the lifetime of the tab they're in
Evidently not. My opinion doesn't matter.
> They shouldn't expect to have any persistent storage
2016 "With Chrome 52, we're introducing the ability to make storage persistent"
> ...a clear lifecycle of installation and deletion that the user has complete control over.
I've never asked for 7 days
> it will never be as good as native apps
I don't develop anything for walled gardens. I cant wait for my linux phone.
> it creates an expectation that every browser will expand its functionality until it is effectively a full operating system.
This already happened. Again, I don't have to like it.
> I think the only reasonable case for the web-as-app model, is things that get installed to the home screen, in the sense that the user is then again given control of the lifecycle
But the user isn't given control over the life cycle. It's 7 days. No one asked for 7 days. It's just about short enough to be completely worthless?
I propose an interface where the pwa provides a picture of a cartoon animal, have fire at the bottom of the screen and each creature tumbling down at its chosen speed. Some 1 day, some 30, some 6 months. The user can opt to drag it up to save it. Notify the user with a soft screaming sound.
This is how it should work!
If browsers asked approval before using localstorage, we wouldn’t have this decision.
This decision comes from an actor that is protecting their business interests. It might have some positive side-effect for some users, and of course Apple will spin it that way. But in the end Apple is very agressively hampering the web's progress to get their sweet 30% cut.
Note that Apple does support PWA to some degree. My understanding is that they don't support onbeforeinstallprompt, which means you can't create an ergonomic, in-browser installation flow. You have to manually go in the browser menu to find an "Add to Homescreen" button, or something along those lines.
Look, we already have lots of website prompts, like camera and location. The best thing, privacy-wise, would be an explicit prompt: "this website wants to store information, possibly including tracking identifiers, forever. Allow?"
Exporting to local files does not work on iOS if the app has been saved to the home screen (it does work if it's loaded as a normal web page). This is likely a bug, but that's the way it is right now.