Once you deny it access, you have to go into settings to change it - just like any other app.
How much money do you think Apple makes when the same probably free website is a free app?
Not every website I visit needs to know my location.
Not every website with a map needs access to my location.
Only websites I specifically allow to access my location should have access.
On the iPhone and specifically safari I've never had an issue or a steep learning curve to showing someone how to long press the reader view (AA) in the url then select _allow location_ or whatever.
I wonder if you sample all had something in common. Did they not regularly use this web app? Was this an event specific web app? If so it would be nice if the web app detected mobile browser by user agent and displayed instructions for activating location. Might help reduce confusion.
There’s pretty much no reason why 99.999% of any apps in existence need my precise location.
It’s not broken at all.
I think any complaint directed towards Apple's development on Safari can also be directed towards their actual native platform. Terrible/non-existent documentation, frequently breaking APIs, and a completely hostile app store and bug reporting/feedback process.
It is not well-known. It is well-believed.
I don't believe Apple has intentionally crippled Safari just to prop up their native platform. Google are the ones who invented the PWA buzzword and spend all their devrel effort on pushing. It's hard to believe they would also try and hamper that.