The new iOS15 and iPadOS15, which will arrive this fall, will allow users to download extensions for Safari from the Apple Store. Apple has already made the software available that enables developers to create universal web extensions for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Why are we so excited about this news? Here’s why.
Browser extensions, as the name suggests, extend the limits of the users’ browsing experience. They do things like block ads, autofill passwords, translate text, find coupons while shopping – the list is endless.
As opposed to the app store apps, these web extensions will work while the user is browsing the internet using the Safari browser. They will have the ability to sync up on a wide range of devices running on different platforms. Considering that web extensions are already available for the Mac version of Safari, bringing it to handheld devices will allow for an enhanced and truly seamless browsing experience for Apple users.
Browser extensions can do things that phone apps cannot. With iOS15/iPadOS supporting them, it is now possible to design universal extensions that work on all devices that can run Safari. This opens up many new possibilities for the existing extensions as well as for new ones.
Those with live web extensions now have a chance to access a whole new market simply by making the extension available to iPhone/iPad users. Existing safari extensions for Mac should have it even easier in being able to make the transition with fewer changes.
Businesses for whom iPhone/iPad users form a significant portion of their target audience can now start thinking of creating a web extension to take up the user experience a few notches and/or expand their reach.
For everyone else, it is a great time to imagine and create new extensions with universal reach.
VSH Solutions has over a decade of experience developing browser extensions. If you have any questions or queries about building/transitioning an extension for iOS/iPadOS, our dedicated Safari extension, and plugin development team will be happy to answer them for you. Just drop us a line at browser extension services.
