Are Progressive Web Apps (PWA) the future? banner

Are Progressive Web Apps (PWA) the future?

Are Progressive Web Apps (PWA) the future? by Market Action Research
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Progressive Web Apps, sometimes referred to as a "PWA", are basically just like the mobile apps that we have all become used to using on our favorite smartphone devices. However, unlike traditional mobile applications, progressive web apps or "Web Apps", actually don't require any large downloads, app stores, or complicated or invasive permissions for your users to accept. 

One of the best parts about web apps is they are also very "light", because they are mostly cloud based, which means that all of the data needed from the app is computed in the cloud and then displayed on the device. For now, that also means progressive web apps have the potential to be more secure, because unlike web servers many phones do not have the capability to have anti-virus, firewall, or any other security software to protect data saved on them. Now you might be wondering, hasn't cloud computing been around for a while? Yes, that is true and it's also true that progressive web apps have been around now for years too. In fact, Apple first released progressive web app technology it in 2014, but it never really picked up that much steam at the time. This was due to several reasons. The difference today is that we are finally at a point where highspeed wireless and WIFI access and availability has now become more practical, secure, and performant. This makes progressive web app technology more likely to phase-in popularity overtime for several reasons.

Are web apps the future of all mobile apps? That's a good question, and it's hard to predict the future, but you might be surprised to know that many companies already have progressive web apps. Some of you, might even be already using one! For example, companies like Starbucks, Spotify, Twitter, Uber, Forbes, Washington Post, and BuzzyGroups already have web apps. This is likely because having a web app makes your content available to more people, on more devices, and also works better on older phone models too. In other words, progressive web apps make apps more accessible to more people and we think that's a big plus!

How to add a Progressive Web App (PWA) to your Phone?

Adding a progressive web app to your phone is easy, and can be done in a few steps. No app stores required! 

Adding a Progressive Web App on iOS

1. From your web browser, tap the options button (looks like a box with an arrow coming out of it) at the bottom of your screen. 

2. Tap "Add to Home Screen" wait a second, and that's it!


Adding a Progressive Web App on Android

1. From your web browser, tap the menu button (looks like 3 little dots in the top right).

2. Tap "Install App", wait a second, and that's it!



How to get a Progressive Web App (PWA) for your website?

Unlike traditional mobile apps, progressive web apps are a lot more affordable to produce and maintain. This is because one progressive web application can be made for all devices (iOS, Android, etc.). Getting a progressive web application is best left to the professionals, unless you're a full stack programmer, because it requires modifying the code in your web server. To learn more about how to get a progressive web app for your website or business, contact us today to learn more.


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