Google has announced that it is introducing Chrome for iOS into open source directory. From now, the code for Chrome for iOS will be part of Chromium open source project. Until now, all iOS browsers were built on top of Apple’s WebKit and the code for Chrome for iOS was kept separate. This was because if the code is combined with other Chromium projects, it will result in further complications. iOS did not support Google’s own rendering engine for platforms, named Blink. So, for Chrome to include iOS, Google needs to extend its support to WebKit in addition to its native Blink.
Over the last few years, Google’s team has been working on the code to alter it in order to upstream it to Chromium. The code for Chrome has been tweaked and updated and is ready to join Chrome’s open source directory. Developers can now easily compile the iOS version of Chromium just like how they do it for other Chrome versions.
Advantages of open sourcing Chrome for iOS
The inclusion of Google’s code for Chrome for iOS in open source community will speed up the development. It will be easier for users to test for bugs and identify vulnerabilities. All the tests that are run on Chromium can now be automatically run on the Chrome for iOS base too. The introduction of code for Chrome for iOS in open source can also accelerate the release of new third-party iOS browsers. The enthusiasts can check out the code here.