[bluescrn]

What's the real use case of PWAs?

They just seem like another way to attempt to shift users from the 'proper web' into a place where blocking ads is more difficult.

Personally, I wish we could purge the vast majority of 'apps' from the world, they shouldn't be apps in the first place, most have no need to run native code, they should be links to websites, sites that can work on more-or-less any device in any browser.

[TheCleric]

I used to be the maintainer for Nativefier (which made web apps into native apps via Electron). It was very popular because many people don’t want certain sites to be one of X tabs in one app, especially when those sites act like they’re own apps. So we gave users the ability to treat these web “apps” like any other apps.

We actually shut down the project because a good PWA implementation does this better than we ever could. PWAs can have extensions like ad blockers (very difficult to impossible in Electron). PWAs get automatic browser updates (very difficult with Electron).

PWAs are great, and FF’s implementation of them is not.

[xtracto]

I love having relaxingjazz.com open as a "webapp" in an independent non-browser small window on my linux desktop. Mint makes it very easy.

[tentacleuno]

> They just seem like another way to attempt to shift users from the 'proper web' into a place where blocking ads is more difficult.

Extensions still run in PWAs on Chromium-based browsers, so I'm not sure that's the intent behind implementing them.

> Personally, I wish we could purge the vast majority of 'apps' from the world

Out of curiosity, where do you draw the distinction between an app and a website? PWAs are largely just websites with an OS shortcut, and in some cases more integration via platform APIs. I'm sure you're familiar with the term "web app", which perfectly highlights how muddied the line is with modern tooling.

[joelanman]

I use Elk Mastodon client - being able to install it as a PWA is great - I get a nice icon on my mobile screen same as any other app, and it runs full screen without an address bar. I can switch between it and other apps, I don't see the downside really

[toyg]

> What's the real use case of PWAs?

Letting companies save money while still claiming they have "desktop apps".

[codebrrr]

On Windows the Twitter, Instagram, TikTok apps are PWAs. I like to use them because I can pin them to the start menu, have them start on a separate window by default and remember the window position.

[Seb-C]

> What's the real use case of PWAs?

Having apps that works as well as native ones, while using the same codebase and open technologies, and that is naturally as decentralized, safe and accessible as the web.

Also not needing to be politically correct, approved by Google and Apple or share large percent of revenue and marketing data with them.

It could be happening if Firefox took it more seriously and Apple didn't prevent it from happening.

[fauigerzigerk]

Cmd/Alt+Tab

On macOS this is even more important because switching windows within an app does not use most recently used order.

[moffkalast]

Getting a full screen view without having to go through the insane hassle of Ionic and the Play store every time you make a one line change? Really useful for various offline control web apps, though I admit it's a rounding error use case that most browsers are more hostile to every year with arbitrary restrictions around HTTP connections (did you know Safari's ATS policy now blocks fetch over unsecure connections, lmao). Web games come to mind as well I guess?

I'm still baffled that mobile browsers don't have the desktop equivalent of F11. Or a console for that matter, the ADB is good and all but it's not always an option.