The WebM audio codec is part of the open media file format created by Google in 2010, which also includes the WebM video codec and WebP image extension. Apple has never been interested in adopting the WebP and WebM formats in the past, as Steve Jobs once said that Google’s codecs were “a mess.”

The company has finally added support for WebP images to Safari with iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur. Another update to Safari 14 on macOS also added support for the WebM video codec, but this was never added to the iOS version of Safari. Now, with the WebM audio codec available in iOS, it’s probably only a matter of time before Apple adds WebM video support to its mobile operating system.