PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) are still the future
I believe that PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) are still the future. Currently, they are often disregarded as a dying trend because users don't install them and are generally unaware of their benefits. However, this overlooks the significant advantages that PWAs bring to the table.
As the name suggests, the essence of PWAs is that a web app can become powerful once it's given the right permissions.
In his post "Progressive Web Apps: Escaping Tabs Without Losing Our Soul", which coined the term "Progressive Web Apps," Alex Russell outlines the attributes of these applications:
- Responsive: to fit any form factor
- Connectivity independent: Progressively-enhanced with Service Workers to let them work offline
- App-like-interactions: Adopt a Shell + Content application model to create appy navigations & interactions
- Fresh: Transparently always up-to-date thanks to the Service Worker update process
- Safe: Served via TLS (a Service Worker requirement) to prevent snooping
- Discoverable: Are identifiable as "applications" thanks to W3C Manifests and Service Worker registration scope allowing search engines to find them
- Re-engageable: Can access the re-engagement UIs of the OS; e.g. Push Notifications
- Installable: to the home screen through browser-provided prompts, allowing users to "keep" apps they find most useful without the hassle of an app store
- Linkable: meaning they're zero-friction, zero-install, and easy to share. The social power of URLs matters.
Rather than viewing PWAs simply as "web apps that can be installed," we should see them as web applications that adhere to a set of guidelines designed to benefit the user, with installability being just one of those benefits.
By looking at PWAs in this light, we can move away from the idea that PWAs are solely installable web apps. Instead, we can see them as robust web applications with features that enhance user experience and empower the web platform.