Progressive web app (PWA)
Also known as: PWA, progressive web application, installable web app
A progressive web app (PWA) is a website built with modern web technologies so it can be installed on a phone or computer and act like a regular app.
PWAs get a home screen icon, open in their own window, can work offline, and can send notifications, all without an app store download. Examples include web versions of services such as X (Twitter), Starbucks, and many business tools. While PWAs save companies from building separate apps for each platform, they can't always access every device feature that native apps can.
Progressive web app (PWA), explained at three levels
At home
A PWA is like a website that moves in and becomes an app. You add it to your home screen, and it opens and works like one, even offline sometimes.
At work
PWAs let businesses offer an app-like experience on every device from one website, often at a lower cost than separate apps.
At home
In Chrome or Edge, look for an 'Install' icon in the address bar. On an iPhone, open the site in Safari and choose 'Add to Home Screen.'
At work
PWAs rely on HTTPS, a web app manifest, and service workers for offline caching and push notifications. Updates deploy instantly, without app store review.
At home
Some features like Bluetooth or background location may not work in PWAs, especially on iPhones. In my opinion, they're best for services you use often but don't need deep phone features for.
At work
Evaluate platform support for needed APIs, especially on iOS, plan offline data handling and syncing carefully, and consider listing PWAs in app stores where allowed for discoverability.
Real-world examples
At home
Nadia installed her favourite news site as a PWA on her laptop. It opens in its own window and loads saved articles even when she's offline on the train.
At work
Carlos leads product at a Montreal food delivery startup. They launched a PWA for restaurant partners instead of separate iOS and Android apps, saving months of development.
How it compares
| feature | Progressive web app (PWA) | Native app |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | From the browser | From an app store |
| Development | One codebase | Often separate per platform |
| Device features | Some limits | Full access |
| Updates | Instant | Through app stores |
PWAs are cheaper and faster to ship. Native apps go deeper.
For analysts
When stakeholders ask for 'an app,' I'd ask which device features it really needs. Often a PWA meets the goal for a fraction of the cost.
History & origin
Steve Jobs initially pitched web apps as the way to build for the iPhone in 2007, before the App Store launched in 2008. Google engineer Alex Russell and designer Frances Berriman coined the term 'progressive web app' in 2015, building on service workers, which let websites work offline, and web app manifests that describe icons and names. Chrome and Android embraced PWAs, and Microsoft allowed them in its store. Apple added web push notifications for home screen web apps in iOS 16.4 in 2023. In early 2024, Apple briefly planned to remove home screen web apps in the EU, then reversed course after criticism. In my view, PWAs are the quiet middle ground between websites and apps that many businesses should consider first.