Google’s Chrome browser has been open source from the get-go (through the Chromium project), but not on iOS. Apple demands that browsers use WebKit instead of their own rendering engines, so Google couldn’t just use its typical code base and call it a day. However, that all changes today: Google has added the iOS Chrome code into Chromium. Developers who want to build on the iOS app, or just poke around looking for security holes, should now have an easy time seeing what makes it tick.
This should also speed up the development of Chrome for iOS, Google adds. As all of the company’s usual Chromium tests now apply to the iOS code, it’ll be easier to implement cross-platform features. You won’t have to be a programmer to benefit from the open source move, in other words. This promises more frequent updates that will help the iOS browser more closely match its Android counterpart.
