Ultimate Guide to Installing & Using Web Apps on iPhone or iPad

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Everything you need to know about web apps on iOS
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Did you know that you can install certain websites on your iPhone or iPad so that they work like a regular app? These web-based apps, also known as progressive web apps , are super easy to add to your Home Screen using either Safari or Chrome. In this wikiHow, we’ll teach you how to do it in a few simple steps. We’ll also explain how to enable push notifications for certain web apps, and how to uninstall these apps if you no longer want them.

Quick Steps

  1. Navigate to the website you want to install as a web app in Safari or Chrome.
  2. Click the Share icon.
  3. Select Add to home screen .
  4. Tap Add to confirm.
  5. Find the web app on your Home Screen and tap the icon to open it.
Section 1 of 5:

Installing Web Apps with Safari or Chrome

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  1. You can install web apps from either Safari or Chrome, and the instructions for doing so are almost exactly the same for both browsers.
  2. Currently, only a small selection of sites offer true web apps, but any site can be added as an "app" (or bookmark) on the Home Screen. [1]
    • If the website does not have a web app, then the site will open in a browser window instead when you try to launch it.
    • You can find a directory of web apps here .
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  3. This will open a menu of options for sharing the website.
    • In Chrome, this button is located at the top of the screen, on the right side of the address bar.
    • In Safari, this icon is at the bottom center of the screen on an iPhone, and at the top right side of the screen on an iPad.
  4. You may need to scroll down to find this option. This will open a dialog box.
  5. This will download the web app to your iPhone or iPad.
    • A name for the app may already be filled in, but you can change it if you like.
  6. You will find your newly installed web app on the Home Screen . It will have been installed in the first available open spot, so you may have to scroll across to find it. You can open it by tapping it, just like any other app.
    • If the website is available as a true web app, it will open as an app on your iPhone or iPad. If the website doesn’t have web app functionality, it will open as a webpage in your default browser instead. [2]
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Section 2 of 5:

Enabling Push Notifications

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  1. If your device’s iOS is up to date, you can enable push notifications from certain web apps, just like with a native iOS app! To check your current version of iOS (and install updates, if necessary), go to Settings > General > Software Update . If you’re running a version of iOS/iPad OS earlier than 16.4, select the latest available update or upgrade and install it .
    • This will only work if the developer of the web app has enabled push notification functionality for their app.
  2. This may be something like a “Subscribe” button or a toggle to turn on push notifications. What you see will vary from one web app to another, so you might need to do some exploring to find it.
    • Keep in mind that not every web app will have an option like this.
  3. A window will pop up telling you that the web app wants to send you notifications. Tap Allow to enable notifications.
  4. If you want to revoke or change notification permissions for a web app, or change the style of the notifications you receive, you can do that in the Settings app.
    • Go to Settings > Notifications and locate the web app. From there, you can toggle Allow Notifications on or off, adjust your notification sounds and banner style, and adjust how notifications appear on the Lock Screen.
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Section 3 of 5:

Deleting Web Apps

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  1. You can delete web apps just like any other application. To get started, locate the app on your Home Screen, then touch and hold the icon until a menu pops up. [3]
  2. Even if it’s a true web app rather than a bookmarked webpage, it will still be described as a “bookmark” in the popup.
  3. This will delete both the web app and any associated data.
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Section 4 of 5:

What is a web app?

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  1. A web app, also known as a progressive web app (PWA), is an app that is created using the same software and technology that a developer might use to create any website or browser-based app. However, these apps are designed so you can install and run them on your device just like an app that you can install from the App Store. [4]
    • Since these apps are installable on your device, that means you can run them even if your iPhone or iPad is offline. They can also interface with your operating system and other apps on your device.
    • While web apps function almost like regular apps, they are somewhat more limited. They can’t store as much offline data as native apps, and they don’t integrate as seamlessly with other iOS features. They also can’t access all of your device’s hardware, such as Bluetooth and Face ID or Touch ID.
Section 5 of 5:

Why use web apps?

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  1. Unlike apps that are available in the App Store, web apps don’t have to go through Apple’s strict review process. Some developers prefer to offer web apps as an easier and more convenient alternative to creating an Apple-approved native app. If you can’t find an app for your favorite website, business, or online service, check their website to see if they offer a web app instead.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Progressive_web_apps
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/9658361?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&oco=1 ).
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/9658361?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS
      4. ↑ https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Progressive_web_apps

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