ITMS-90809: Deprecated API Usage - Apple will stop accepting submissions of apps that use UIWebView APIs

Questions
1

I created a Cordova project using Framework7 in December 2019. Recently I uploaded an iOS app archive to app store connect for Testflight. Then shortly after, I received an email that says “ITMS-90809: Deprecated API Usage - Apple will stop accepting submissions of apps that use UIWebView APIs”

With this in mind, can I still publish apps to the App Store? or are there any steps I need to do before publishing my app? I stumbled upon Ionic’s blog addressing this problem but I’m not sure if I can apply the steps to my project.

If anyone can help that would be really appreciated! Many thanks in advance!

2 Likes
2

yes, its just a warning.
a topic of cordova-ios:

apple news:

so:

The App Store will no longer accept new apps using UIWebView as of April 2020 and app updates using UIWebView as of December 2020.

3

But does Framework7 use UIWebView? I created my project using the CLI in December 2019, the app might only be published to App Store after April 2020. I’m unsure if I need to do or change anything

4

Not F7. But cordova.

5

No, Framework7 does not use UIWebView. But Cordova/PhoneGap for iOS does.

Cordova/PhoneGap, by default, uses UIWebView for iOS apps, which has been deprecated by Apple. So you must use WKWebView instead.

If you are getting this warning message, then you need to make following changes in your project:

  1. First of all, update cordova-ios version to 5.1.0
    Check this link: https://cordova.apache.org/announcements/2019/11/25/cordova-ios-release-5.1.0.html

  2. Add WKWebView plugin to your project: https://www.npmjs.com/package/cordova-plugin-wkwebview-engine

  3. Add this line to your config.xml <preference name="WKWebViewOnly" value="true"/>

Now your project will use WKWebView only, which removes the warning.

PS: If the warning still appears, then please ensure that the cordova plugins you have included in your project do not use UIWebView in their code.

4 Likes
6

Thank you for the reply!

7

“PS: If the warning still appears, then please ensure that the cordova plugins you have included in your project do not use UIWebView in their code.”

How can I check this? How can I search the plugins for UIWebview?

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For me, last time i submitted app, issue was with In App Browser plugin

10

Check this link: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58091231/how-to-search-for-any-uiwebview-component-usage-inside-a-current-project

1 Like
11

is there any fix for that photo browser plugin?
to avoid that error when submitting to app store?
thank you

12

It was In App Browser - https://github.com/apache/cordova-plugin-inappbrowser

13

would you mind explain me, how did you fix it?
i noticed the inappbrowser plugin has option to use wkwebview, Using usewkwebview=yes
does it solve the problem?

thank you for your help.

14

Not really remember as it was few months ago, but i took some active or closed PR from that repo and applied changes manually to files. Like this https://github.com/apache/cordova-plugin-inappbrowser/pull/635

15

thank you. i will check and try.

thank you for your help.

16

Would you be so kind as to share the results?
Thank you!

17

hi
i did not submit the app yet. also our app does not use the inappbrowser.
i will update you the status after i submit.
thank you

1 Like
18

Keep in mind this I just saw: https://cordova.apache.org/howto/2020/03/18/wkwebviewonly.html

1 Like