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What is a progressive web app (PWA)?
A progressive web app, or PWA, is a website built to behave like an app: it can be installed to the home screen, opens full-screen, works partly offline and can send notifications. It is still one web codebase, reached by a link, with no app store required. Two things make it work: a web app manifest and a service worker.
What makes a website a PWA
Three ingredients: the site is served over HTTPS, it has a web app manifest, a small file that gives the name, icons and colours, and it registers a service worker, a script that runs in the background of the browser. Together they let the browser offer installation.
Nothing about it replaces the normal website. A PWA is the same site with extra capabilities switched on, so it still works for visitors who never install it and for search engines that read it.
What a PWA can do
It can be installed to the home screen or desktop with its own icon, and it opens without the browser's address bar. The service worker can cache the interface and chosen data so pages load fast and open even on a weak connection.
It can also send push notifications where the platform allows. On iPhone, web push works for web apps that the user has added to the home screen, on iOS 16.4 and later.
Where PWAs fall short
A PWA does not get the full reach of native code. Access to some hardware and system features is limited, and support differs between browsers and operating systems, so each feature needs checking on the platforms your users have.
A PWA also is not listed in the app stores by default. If store presence matters to your audience, you need a different route, such as wrapping the web product in a native shell. Offline use covers what you design for, not everything.
When a PWA is the right choice
It fits products people use often and want quickly: ordering, booking, dashboards, member areas, internal tools. You get one product for every device, instant updates and no store review, with an install option for repeat users.
Many of our web builds are PWA-ready from the start, because the extra work is small when planned early. If you are deciding between web, PWA and native, we scope projects on a 15-minute call.
FAQ
Is a PWA the same as a mobile app?
Not exactly. It looks and behaves like an app once installed, but it is built with web technology and delivered through the browser instead of an app store.
Do PWAs work on iPhone?
Yes. On iPhone you add a PWA to the home screen from Safari's share menu, and web push is supported for home-screen web apps on iOS 16.4 and later. Some features differ from Android.
Does a PWA need to be in the App Store or Google Play?
No. People open it by link and install it from the browser. It is not listed in the stores by default, though a web product can later be wrapped for them if you need that.
Can a PWA work offline?
Partly. A service worker can cache the interface and chosen content so the app opens without a connection. Actions that need the server, such as payments, still require the network.
Is a PWA good for SEO?
A PWA is still a website with URLs, so search engines can read it like any other site. How well it ranks depends on the content and the technical setup, the same as any website.