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by rambambram 844 days ago
Although I agree with the article and the obvious sh!t move Apple is making, one needs to keep making a distinction between PWAs and web apps in general. Not every 'web app' needs local storage or push notifications.

Besides, I heard the 'simple' web apps still can have a place on the homescreen. Can anybody with an iPhone tell me if that works like the video from the article? Is it just with an address bar?

1 comments

The video in the article (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AST12aDGf0Q) shows that PWAs are completely gone. They are degraded to pinned bookmarks that open in your default browser. Yes, you can still pin bookmarks, as you always(?) could, but those are not PWAs.

Only PWAs can offer a true app-like experience.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but these "pinned bookmarks" can be on the homescreen like a link that opens in your default browser, right?

> Only PWAs can offer a true app-like experience.

If one's definition of an app requires push notifications and local storage.

I get the d!ck move from Apple, but web apps can be way simpler without push notifications and storage on a server under your control. To me personally, push notifications and local storage are overrated.

? My definition of an app-like experience is that it’s not a browser. No address bar, no tabs, no GUI elements whatsoever but the web view. That’s a PWA. Local storage is merely a supporting technology. Push notifications are not required at all.