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by szasamasa 858 days ago
it would be nice to strongly suggest a cross browser idea in the manifest "standard" that is an unstable draft but anyways... that is complicated because it is actually now a browser decision

my idea would be long pressing the domain (2 sec) and then standalone mode and "app" icon... like the icon appears and you drop it on your home screen (on desktop other stuff like a prompt do you want a launcher icon, a desktop icon or just integration into apps)

it is extremely universal and easy to remember, practically you grab the web domain and pack it into an icon and drop it onto your home screen or game folder on the home screen etc...

a clear, instinctive user choice... you learn it on one domain and apply it by all other

actually, you do not even need a manifest file if you have some favicon and short app name in the html...

it is just a user choice to switch to standalone mode from tab mode, aka use it as an app

it would also clear up these unnecessary buzzwords and non-standard failing wording like "progressive" "PWA" or "install"...

I understand what people meant with these words back then but it just confuses even tech people... nowadays standalone mode ("install") is orthogonal to whether the website is capable, good, progressive or whatever...

like the .fun domain is a nice game that your child tried and enjoyed, it is hopefully well written so you want to use it in standalone instead of tab mode... you do it without fear of installing anything (nothing is installed) and if everything ok you use it launching it directly from the home screen without browser UI... seemless, that is the actual idea, no need for confusing and contraproductive wording

1 comments

I think an invisible long press is just as (un)intuitive as the share sheet junk drawer.
I think it is non-obtrusive and the first time you have to learn it (on the site you first want to use standalone or googleing or somebody tells you who already knows)

after the first time, you just know it... I would bet 1m dollars if we made consumer group tests..

that is intuitive and easy to remember, I did not say easy to guess :)