The author mentions PWA stores like store.app, and some shortcomings:
> PWA app stores like Appscope and store.app exist, but they're hobbled by gatekeepers that have denied competing browsers access to APIs that could turn PWA directories into real contenders.
The author is simply wrong in this case. To make sure I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, I just went to store.app and added Microsoft Loop to my Home Screen in about 5 seconds. It was easier and faster than installing a native app!
PWA install experience is nice and easy on desktop, you're right.
But to be clear, the author is saying that on mobile, especially on iOS, PWA capabilities are crippled.
I say this with some authority, having worked on Microsoft's PWABuilder[0] including its iOS platform. There are a number of significant things not possible on iOS due to Apple's restrictions for web apps.
Things are getting better on mobile, albeit slowly thanks to Apple's feet-dragging mentioned in the author's post.
> PWA install experience is nice and easy on desktop, you're right.
Cool, I've only tried on mobile myself. Here's the iOS experience for anyone who hasn't tried PWApp stores: https://imgur.com/a/2VMbvOp
> …on mobile, especially on iOS, PWA capabilities are crippled. I say this with some authority, having worked on Microsoft's PWABuilder including its iOS platform.
Great project, nice to meet you! I don't think I've hit these pain points as a user. What's your "top 3" of what Apple needs to do to make PWA installation suck less for iOS users?
As a developer, I expect I would do exactly what you recommended in 2021 (https://blog.pwabuilder.com/posts/publish-your-pwa-to-the-io...), which is to distribute web apps on the App Store proper (using PWABuilder, Capacitor, etc.) instead of as a PWA for the benefits (discoverability, "normal" installation experience) you note. Is that still good advice from your perspective?
> "What's your "top 3" of what Apple needs to do to make PWA installation suck less for iOS users?"
It's not so much about installation as it is about app capabilities. Many of the things native apps do easily, Apple makes difficult for web apps. Push notifications is one such thing. (Again, this is changing slowly.)
That said, yes, adding web apps to home screen is quite buried in iOS today.
> "As a developer, I expect I would do exactly what you recommended in 2021 (https://blog.pwabuilder.com/posts/publish-your-pwa-to-the-io...), which is to distribute web apps on the App Store proper (using PWABuilder, Capacitor, etc.) instead of as a PWA for the benefits (discoverability, "normal" installation experience) you note"
It's not an either/or. Personally, I build PWAs and make them publicly available on the web. Then, I publish them to app stores for visibility. Average, non-technical users look for apps in app stores, so that's where you need to be even if you app is built with web tech. This is the advice I gave in 2021, and it still holds true today.
