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Safari WebExtensions (MV3): Content Script context persists across navigation, causing message routing to wrong (zombie?) pages
Summary: Content scripts injected via manifest continue to receive and respond to chrome.tabs.sendMessage() calls even after the user has navigated away from the original page, causing messages intended for the current tab to be handled by zombie contexts from previous pages. Environment: Safari/iOS Version: 18.5 Extension Manifest: Version 3 Expected Behavior: When a user navigates from Page A to Page B: Page A's content script context should be destroyed. chrome.tabs.sendMessage(currentTabId, message) should only reach Page B's content script Only Page B should be able to respond to action button clicks (or other background to content messages). Actual Behavior: When navigating from Page A to Page B: Page A's content script context persists as a "zombie". chrome.tabs.sendMessage(currentTabId, message) reaches zombie context instead of the Page B's one. Hence, it looks like the extension is broken because the content script does not respond to the background messages. Details: Tab ids are properly recognized by both background and content script The problem does not always occur; it occurs on random occasions. It's quite easy to have it reproduced. It can be reproduced easier if user clicks ext icon during site loading (before it fully loaded), triggering ActionClick (ext icon click) event and then sending a msg upon it to the content script Regardless of whether the content script is injected into the tab using manifest.json, registerContentScripts, or executeScript, the problem is still there Once the problem occurs, e.g. user is on macys.com but zombie injected content script believes it's google.com (a previous page), even refreshing the tab doesnt change anything - zombie context is still there (thinking it's still google.com) . Changing a domain to something completely different one could help though. Then going back to macys.com could still lead to the described issue. A zombie content script does not have access to the page's console function and others. Example communication Sending following message from the background to the content script using chrome.tabs.sendMessage() { "tab": { "id": 155, "active": true, "url": "https://www.macys.com/", "title": "Macys.com" } } Results in the content-script zombie context response (the url is taken from the window.location.href) "message": { "type": "ActionClicked", "data": {} }, "response": { "data": { "windowUrl": "https://www.google.com/", "contentReached": true, "timestamp": "1,753,138,945,272", } } }
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405
Jul ’25
[iOS 18.4 Beta 2-4] WKWebView content inset causes content touches to be off inside the web view
Background On iOS 18.4 beta, setting a content inset on a WKWebView causes touch events inside the web view to be offset by the content inset amount. In other words, if the web view has a top content inset of 75 points, I must tap 75 points above the intended element for the touch to register correctly. This makes any web content unusable when a content inset is present. A sample app demonstrating the issue is available here: GitHub - iOS18.4-Webview-Bug. The issue does not occur in iOS 18.3 or 18.2. Bug Report The bug has been reported and fixed at WebKit Bug 289715 and also filed as rdar://147075945. Question Will the fix be included in the upcoming iOS 18.4 beta release (Beta 5) or soon thereafter?
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Mar ’25
iOS Safari Web Extension MV3 - How to debug service workers?
I'm developing a web extension for Safari on iOS using MV3. The extension is working fine in Chrome, but in Safari I experience some seemingly random issues. I would like to debug it, but here is my problem. I have my iPhone connected via cable to Mac, and it works fine with XCode, so I assume this part is OK. I open Safari or Safari Tech Preview (doesn't matter) on my Mac, developers options are enabled, and in the Develop menu, under my iPhone section, there are things I can debug. There is an entry "[Ext name] - Extension Service Worker" but when I click it, it's empty. Web inspector pops up, but there are no network requests, no logs, nothing. I know the extension is working, because I can stream log to my HTTP server, but I don't see them here at all. I can use console to trigger commands like chrome.storage.local.get(null, console.log) and it shows my local store, so why I don't see any logs? Also, the background script is not visible in the Sources tab, just one weird request: navigator.serviceWorker.register('safari-web-extension://E3449EA7-EC25-4696-8E6C-[ID HERE]/background.js'); </script> Any ideas what went wrong? The entire team of 4 people has the same issue and we can't move forward because of that. Also, the Develop => Service workers or any other menu section doesn't show my service worker. Logs for websites running on my phone are visible and in general web inspector for them works fine.
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1.1k
Sep ’25
How to print WKWebView in Sequoia?
I want to print the content of a WKWebView. I've done some searching, and many people have struggled with this over the years. Some claimed success, but their solutions don't work for me. One person created images for each pages and printed that, but then if you were to print to PDF, you'd get a PDF containing images rather than text. If I just call the printView(_:)) method of the view, I get blank pages. With the following more elaborate code, I get a partial printout, 11 out of what should be about 13 pages. let info = NSPrintInfo.shared info.topMargin = 72.0; info.bottomMargin = 72.0; info.leftMargin = 72.0; info.rightMargin = 72.0; info.isVerticallyCentered = false; info.isHorizontallyCentered = false; info.horizontalPagination = .fit; info.verticalPagination = .automatic; let printOp = webView!.printOperation( with: info ) printOp.canSpawnSeparateThread = true printOp.view?.frame = NSMakeRect( 0, 0, info.paperSize.width, info.paperSize.height ) printOp.runModal(for: webView.window!, delegate: self, didRun: nil, contextInfo: nil ) When I run the above under the debugger, I see console messages saying CGContextClipToRect: invalid context 0x0. Once the print dialog appears, if I touch (but not change) the selected printer, then the page count changes to the correct value.
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971
Jan ’26
iOS Safari 18.4/18.5 with IIS Windows Authentication with negotiate hangs after entering credentials
I don't think the issue is specific iOS 18. We have a web application that runs with IIS Authentication of Windows and Anonymous. Initially the app opens and the user clicks a button and triggers the "401 Challenge" via ASP.NET. The browser presents the Active Directory login, user enters credentials, clicks Sign In, and the browser hangs (may actually be negotiating something). After a few minutes the user is logged into the application. We have done a number of google searches/AI to try to determine what to change and there is no clear solution. Is there anything else to try? This problem is not seen in Chrome on iOS or on a Windows machine. Strangely it is also not seen using BrowserStack with one of their "real" devices. We have other apps that run with just Windows Authorization and this problem is not observed.
Topic: Safari & Web SubTopic: General
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May ’25
What is the time frame on fixing this issue?
The issue of fixed elements with { bottom: 0 } moving up when scrolling still persists. It seems to be a general issue with the IOS 26 release. It affects other browser too. I tested on browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Bravo. With the exception of Edge, all the others display the behavior. Device: iPhone 15 Pro IOS Version: 26.0.1
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Oct ’25
AdTag URL - on learn more action - Redirects to External Safari Browser - Need to lock orientation to Portrait Mode
We’re currently working on an OTT-based application where we integrate Google Ad Manager to serve video ads. As part of the ad experience, users often see a “Learn More” CTA (Call to Action) on these ads. As per our current requirement, when a user taps “Learn More” on an ad: • The link should open in Safari (i.e., an external browser) on iOS devices • The Safari browser should ideally open in portrait orientation, as the ad content and layout are optimised for portrait mode However, based on our understanding and technical constraints on iOS, it appears that: • Orientation control is restricted to the app’s own context. • Once Safari is launched via UIApplication.shared.open, we no longer have control over how it behaves in terms of orientation. • iOS system behaviour determines Safari’s orientation based on the device’s physical orientation and Safari’s own internal configuration. Could you please confirm if there’s any supported way (via SDK, deep link config, or otherwise) to enforce portrait orientation in Safari when opening such external URLs from within an iOS app? If this is not technically feasible, we would appreciate any best practices or alternatives you can suggest for ensuring a consistent user experience.
Topic: Safari & Web SubTopic: General
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Jun ’25
What is the recommended way to programmatically apply proxy to WKWebView
Hi Apple engineers! We are making an iOS browser and are planing to deliver a feature that allows enterprise customers to use a MAM key to set a PAC file for proxy. It's designed to support unmanaged device so the MDM based solutions like 'Global HTTP Proxy MDM payload' or 'Per-App VPN' simply don't work. After doing some research we found that with WKWebView, the only framework allowed on iOS for web browsing, there's no API for programmatically setting proxy. The closes API is the WKURLSchemeHandler, but it's for data management not network request interception, in other word it can not be used to handle HTTP/HTTPS request well. When we go from the web-view level to the app level, it seems there's no API to let an app set proxy for itself at an app-level, the closest API is Per-App VPN but as mentioned above, Per-App VPN is only available for managed device so we can't use that as well. Eventually we go to the system level, and try to use Network Extension, but there's still obstacles. It seems Network Extension doesn't directly provide a way to write system proxy. In order to archive that, we may have to use Packet Tunnel Provider in destination IP mode and create a local VPN server to loop back the network traffic and do the proxy stuff in that server. In other word, the custom VPN protocol is 'forward directly without encryption'. This approach looks viable as we see some of the network analysis tools use this approach, but still I'd like to ask is this against App Store Review Guidelines? If the above approach with Network Extension is not against App Store Review Guidelines, I have a further question that, what is the NEProxySettings of NETunnelNetworkSettings for? Is it the proxy which proxies the VPN traffic (in order to hide source IP from VPN provider) or it is the proxy to use after network traffic goes into the virtual private network? If none of the above is considered recommended, what is the recommended way to programmatically set proxy on WKWebView on an unmanaged device (regardless of where the proxy runs, web-view/app/system)?
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1.8k
Jan ’26
Web Extension : browser.cookies.getAll() does not work
After upgrading to Safari version 18, we encountered an issue with my extension’s background script not being able to access cookies. Previously, in Safari versions 17 and below, the extension worked as expected. Now, when the extension tries to retrieve cookies using browser.cookies.getAll(), it returns an empty list. However, if we open the extension’s developer tools, the cookies are visible and accessible. It seems that Safari only provides cookie data after the developer tools have been opened. However, after relaunching Safari and launching the extension without opening the developer tools, browser.cookies.getAll() still returns an empty list. Has anyone else experienced this? STEPS TO REPRODUCE Download this minimal app : https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0bajlhnuQaG6T5NsFKXEB0U9Q#test%5Fcookies Compile test_mv2 extension (in test_cookies.getAll.zip). Launch test_mv2.app and activate extension. Click on the extension's button (browserAction). Open the developer tools. Observe an empty list of cookies. Click on the extension's button (browserAction). Cookies are retrieved as expected.
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789
Mar ’25
Tracking Campaigns (Downloads) with Smart App Banners
Hello, I've got Smart App Banner set up on my website. However, I want to be able to measure the traffic coming from this banner to the app store / app (i.e. measure impressions/downloads). Apple documentation (https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/view-app-analytics/manage-campaigns/) says you can set up a campaign link and use it in the Smart Banner to track those who download / open the app store page using your smart banner (so that we can get attribution). However, there is no documentation at all in terms of how this should be added to the tag when implementing a Smart App Banner. I've tried so many different variations and none have tracked downloads. This includes a structure based on an example taken from WWDC from a few years back which also did not work. I would appreciate any help!
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594
Dec ’25
PWA video playback stopped working after updating iOS to 26.0.1
Hey Guys My PWA video playback and even youtube videos stopped working after updating iOS to 26.0.1. The video thumnails appear fine and if i try to play the video, it remains stuck. If i restart the phone, the video plays for a second in the PWA and then stops again and entire app gets stuck. Request apple team to fix this issue at the earliest. This is hampering all my iOS users who install the PWA on their device homescreen and use it as app. FYI strangely EVERYTHING WORKS FINE ON iOS SAFARI browser including videos playback If i open it as a web app. so this seems like a specific PWA issue on latest ios 26.0.1
Topic: Safari & Web SubTopic: General
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597
Nov ’25
PDF links in WKWebView not clickable on iOS 26 (working on pre-iOS 26)
Hello Apple Developer Community, I'm experiencing an issue with PDF link interaction in WKWebView that appears to be specific to iOS 26. Problem Description: I'm loading a PDF in WKWebView.The links may vary widely and are not necessarily DPF, so I need to load them using WKWebView. On iOS versions prior to 26, links within the PDF are clickable and work correctly. On iOS 26, the same links are not clickable (no response when tapped). Expected Behavior: PDF links should remain clickable and functional across all iOS versions. What I've Tried: Tested opening the PDF directly in Safari on iOS 26 - links still not clickable This suggests the issue might be related to changes in the system's PDF rendering engine Reproduction Steps: Load the PDF URL in WKWebView Navigate to page 12 Attempt to tap the link Environment: Test Devices: iPhone 15(26.0 ) / iPhone 16 Pro Max(18.0.1 ) Xcode: 16.2 Questions: Is this an intentional change in iOS 26's PDF handling or WKWebView? If so, is there a new API or configuration to restore link interactivity? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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600
Nov ’25
iOS 26.1 beta Safari audio input is broken
I'm a web developer of WebRTC based web app for video and audio calls. After updating to iOS 26.1 beta I noticed, that my app can't use microphone anymore. When I'm calling to getUserMedia with audio set to true, Safari returns error "No AVAudioSessionCaptureDevice device". Other WebRTC demo apps also can't access microphone on this firmware. And maybe it's connected somehow, but safari can't detect connected AirPods Pro 2 as an input device. So, this bug brakes any WebRTC app, that uses microphones.
Topic: Safari & Web SubTopic: General Tags:
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978
Oct ’25
Declarative Net Request rules are getting added to the redirect calls
I am creating a Safari Web Extension. There are two calls let say, call1 and call2 which gets executed in sequence by browser, call1 gives a 302 type response and redirects to call2. When creating DNR rule for adding "Cookie" in the request header of call1, the same cookie gets added to the request header of call2 as well(Same is the case for other headers/custom headers as-well). Because of this the set-cookie present in response header of call1 is not sent in the request header of call2, and returns 400 response. The same setting is working fine for other browsers chrome & firefox. Is this a bug or DNR works differently for safari ? currently "webRequestBlocking" works in safari for manifest v3, is there any development of it getting removed just like it's removed in chrome in mv3.
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134
Mar ’25
In Tahoe, Safari tabs and Favorite bookmarks unreadable
This is my first post, so please forgive me if it is to the wrong area. I've been using Tahoe for a few days and, overall, it's very stable. But the one thing that has bothered me to no end is Safari's new behavior with respect to its header (Address bar, Favorite bookmarks bar, tab bar) background color. The web content of the active tab seems to affect everything - and oftentimes makes things completely unreadable - at least in "Dark" mode. For instance, if a web page uses a white background, the Favorites bookmark labels are the same color as the bookmark background, so reading the labels is simply impossible. At other times, they're just very difficult to read. Similarly, it is almost always impossible to tell which tab is the active one - my only workaround is to try 100% brightness....or to just guess. When Apple previously experimented with letting content bleed through to the top, there was a setting for stopping it - but I don't see such a setting anymore. Do you you know of any way to stop this effect?
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174
Jun ’25
Safari: Sticky element with bottom: 0 does not follow viewport when toolbar hides on scroll
Device: iPhone 15pro, ios26.0 (23A 341) IOS version: 26.0 (23A 341) When using position: sticky; bottom: 0, the div is expected to stick to the bottom of the viewport when the browser toolbar hides while scrolling. However, it stops at the height where the toolbar was, instead of moving down with the disappearing toolbar. In the image below, the red-bordered navigation shows the situation where it does not stick to the bottom. i
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Sep ’25
iOS 26/MacOS 26 - PWA App Icons: Dark,Clear,Tinted Appearance
Hi everyone, I'm exploring the new app icon appearance options (Clear, Dark, Tinted) for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) on iOS26, iPadOS26, and macOS26. Currently, PWA icons don't seem to render well with these new appearances, particularly in Clear and Tinted modes, resulting in very very poor visual quality. You can hardly see anything. Has support for these icon appearances been fully implemented for PWAs? If so, could someone point me to the relevant Apple Developer documentation or provide guidance on how to configure PWA icons to support Clear, Dark, and Tinted appearances? I've searched the Apple Developer Forums, Stack Overflow, and Reddit but haven't found clear information on this topic.A possible solution is a png file with transparent areas, but if the pattern is dark, nothing will be visible in dark mode. Any insights or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! (plz don't give up on PWA😭) Reference: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/761615 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78780916/is-there-a-way-to-provide-light-dark-and-tinted-variants-of-apple-touch-icon https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/ConfiguringWebApplications/ConfiguringWebApplications.html
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Jun ’25
The bottom tab bar appears after using the keypad in OS26.
hi Testing on OS26 Public Beta 6. In Safari, if you enter x homepage and scroll, the tab bar sticks to the bottom and moves. Make the keyboard appear in the search window When scrolling down on the Safari homepage again, the issue of not being able to stick to the bottom appears. Is it because the liquid glass UI was applied this time? and safari bug? Please let me know if I'm missing anything
Topic: Safari & Web SubTopic: General
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Sep ’25