I use Firefox Containers to separate “those sites” we sometimes are force to use from my regular browser usage.
Since iOS/MacOS is getting better integration with Web Apps I was wondering if those would be a good alternatives from the privacy perspective. I can see the convenience of having them like a desktop app instead of browser windows.
Edit: I changed the title to make the conversation more specific since I see how there was room to confusion
I think that web apps (aka PWAs) are nothing new to iOS (and are also currently available on all other mainstream operating systems), I don’t recall the details of the recent news re: iOS and PWAs but I believe it had to do with tighter/better integration with the OS.
That doesn’t answer your question directly but I thought it worth saying because (1) you can test web apps now, you don’t have to wait for iOS 17, and (2) I just wanted to make sure that you understand PWAs are not tied to or created by Apple, apart from Firefox most browsers and all major operating systems support web apps, they are cross platform (this is the main selling point).
As to your question, I don’t have an answer but I am also curious to what extent web apps are self contained/containerized.
from News from WWDC23: WebKit Features in Safari 17 beta | WebKit
When a user adds a website to their Dock, Safari will copy the website’s cookies to the web app. That way, if someone is logged into their account in Safari, they will remain logged in within the web app. This will only work if the authentication state is stored within cookies. Safari does not copy over any other kind of local storage. After a user adds a web app to the Dock, no other website data is shared, which is great for privacy.
Safari functions relatively similarly across all Apple operating systems even though the article is focused on web apps support on macOS.
When you create a web app, only the credentials in website cookies are copied over (which is different from Safari 16 as it doesn’t copy website cookies and you have to log back on the web app). Other than that, the web apps are completely isolated.
Safari 17 also adds support for profiles which you also use to separate sites. History, favorites, Tab Groups and website data such as cookies, caches, service workers, and Web Push subscriptions are scoped per-profile. AFAIK safari is the only mobile browser with a such feature.
Curiously, I updated to the beta (don’t do this) and this didn’t happen, I had to login again in the site I tested after making it a webapp
Do you mean the web push? I am pretty sure most browsers have profiles
The clarification wasn’t needed mate lmao. It just never occurred me to used them as this way before.
Firefox containers do separate your cookies across each of your containers, but using the web app functionality likely won’t do that unless you are creating a new profile and somehow making the web apps from a different profile than you use for regular browsing. Another option is to continue to use Firefox for web browsing and let Safari handle all of your web apps. That way you get the compartmentalization you’re looking for by using two browsers as opposed to containers on one browser.
Do you mean the web push? I am pretty sure most browsers have profiles
I wan’t aware that mobile versions of browsers have support for profiles to separate website data. There seems to be no mentions of that.
I think you are right, my bad