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It can download Javascript (or other interpreted language, or config data), but you generally can't download and execute new compiled native code on iOS, due to

• mohamedkoubaa 6d ago
  Pardon my ignorance but can't an iOS app host a WASM runtime without being a browser? And if so it doesn't need to be an interpreted language necessarily.
  • sebmellen 6d ago
    Yeah, but to my understanding that’s not what Shopify is doing.
  • svieira 6d ago
    Yes, it could, but then you would have re-invented React Native. But in WASM.
  • apitman 6d ago
    I am fairly certain this is against Apple's policies. In principle you're not supposed to change the functionality of your app without review.
    • cute_boi 6d ago
      i don't see any difference between wasm and js? If react native apps can be updated with js, wasm should be allowed.
      • apitman 6d ago
        I think updating js without review is also against policy.
        • whstl 6d ago
          It's a grey area. App Review Guidelines §2.5.2 says: "Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps" Technically Apple can punish you for anything but so far it seems to be accepted for small fixes and tweaks.
          • myko 5d ago
            Doesn't seem like a grey area at all, pretty clear it is against the policy. Just a ridiculous policy and hard to enforce.
  • spiderice 5d ago
    Could you reinvent OTA updates in another non-native language? Of course. But then you still wouldn't have a native app. You'd just be doing React Native but worse.
    • mohamedkoubaa 5d ago
      My point is that it isn't that RN "removes one of the biggest annoyances of developing for the App Store", it's that a specific technical feature of RN does that, and it's not only available to RN