The user doesn't care about the delivery tech. They care about the installation and usage experience. They want to go search the app store, click the button, and get an icon on their homescreen.
How is requiring the user to open a completely different application a better "user experience" than installing it from the web page they're already on?
Yes, I know that installing a PWA is confusing (especially on Apple's systems), but there no reason it has to be that way.
PWA (if it were implemented properly): "Click here to install app". Click. Confirmation dialog. App is installed. App opens in the same window.
App store: "Click here to install app". Click. An entirely different application opens. Confirmation dialog. App is installed. You open it, but now you're in a different context.
> PWA (if it were implemented properly): "Click here to install app". Click. Confirmation dialog. App is installed. App opens in the same window.
> App store: "Click here to install app". Click. An entirely different application opens. Confirmation dialog. App is installed. You open it, but now you're in a different context.
You’re unfortunately oversimplifying the PWA installation. Say a user has heard of a new service called “Florb” which has a PWA and a native app. To install natively:
1. Open the App Store
2. Tap the search button (optional, might already be selected)
3. Search “Florb”
4. Tap Get
5. Confirm download
For the PWA:
1. Open Safari
2. Search for Florb using your chosen search engine
3. Open Florb homepage
4. Tap “share”
5. Hunt and scroll for “Add to Home Screen”
6. Tap “Add to Home Screen”
7. Give the app a name
8. Tap Add
This is ignoring the possibility that searching Florb returns other sites first (maybe news articles about the neat service, or a wiki page), nor that there are usually enough ads on google pages to completely obscure the first real results from the screen on page load. Yes, the App Store also shows an ad, and it’s possible for other similarly named apps to appear first in the list, but it’s generally less of a problem than relying on google searches.
Even ignoring the fact that the average user doesn’t know or care that PWAs exist, the first option is simply easier and more reliable. There’s no getting around that. And that’s also ignoring that PWAs are, to an average user, “installing a website” rather than “installing an app,” which just feels wrong.
“Add to Home Screen” has been available on iOS since at least iOS 4 (that’s the first time I remember seeing it, but it may have been around longer). If people don’t care about it yet, I have a hard time believing they will any time soon unless it is substantially and objectively better than the App Store.
This is an idiotic way of breaking it down. How does the user even know Florb exists? They're already on the web at this stage. You're also being totally disingenuous with your break down. Why does the user have to "hunt and scroll" for the app on the PWA side but not the app store? Go ahead, search for "fastmail" on your Android app store and tell me what the first and most prominent result is.
And when I click "add to home" in my browser's menu I don't need to name the app. The app has a name. What are you talking about?
They can hear it from a TV/radio ad, they can see it on a billboard, they can hear it from a friend. Exploring that an app exists doesn't happen only on the product website.
> How is requiring the user to open a completely different application a better "user experience" than installing it from the web page they're already on?
Because it is strange and different. If Web apps were standard going to the iOS App Store would be weird. It’s not so PWAs are weird. Just give them an app, don’t make them work to install it.
Bingo. Defenders of the app store have severe stockholm syndrome. Apple ruins the PWA experience intentionally, so they blame people who use PWAs, instead of Apple.
Yes, I know that installing a PWA is confusing (especially on Apple's systems), but there no reason it has to be that way.
PWA (if it were implemented properly): "Click here to install app". Click. Confirmation dialog. App is installed. App opens in the same window.
App store: "Click here to install app". Click. An entirely different application opens. Confirmation dialog. App is installed. You open it, but now you're in a different context.