Chrome 124 is prepping a feature that turns any site into a free-standing web app
It was only a few years ago that Google opted to end support for Chrome Apps in favor of the far more universal PWAs – progressive web apps. Since that point, the web by and large has moved in this direction, seeing standard websites acting far more like native applications across the board. With the nature of the open web, it isn’t exactly vital that all websites have app-like features, however. There are still plenty of sites that give users info and don’t need a ton of fancy animations and navigation elements to do so. Sites like Chrome Unboxed (and plenty of other news/blog sites) are a perfect example where building a full application to deliver our content is simply overkill.
But for other services, a more robust interface really does make the experience better. And we’re seeing more and more “websites” that really are applications delivered on the web. Think about complex services like Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. Consider YouTube, YouTube Music, or Spotify. Throw in Netflix, Disney+ or YouTube TV. All of these services (and tons more) make use of the wildly-capable tools available on the web, and they do so in such a fantastic way that downloading and installing a native app on the desktop isn’t just unnecessary; it feels almost silly.
A standalone app-like experience for any web app
While we’ve had apps like YouTube or Spotify that prompt the user to “install” the PWA when visiting via something like the Chrome browser, not all of the applications we see on the web are set up for this or have taken the time to put the pieces in place to prompt users to take advantage. But with Chrome 124, it looks like Google is making it far simpler to turn any website into a free-standing “app” that can be pinned, opened, and displayed like a native app on the desktop.
For now, this is in the Canary Channel of Chrome 124, but after turning on a simple feature flag (chrome://flags/#web-app-universal-install), you can find a new option in the 3-dot menu under the Save and share section called “Install page as app” that does exactly what it says.
While not that different than the “Save page as” feature that has been in Chrome for years at this point, the new flow is far more clear about what you are doing and it skips the silly step that, for now, forces the user to also select the option to open this page as a window. We’ve talked about this existing method before and it will work just fine for you until this update arrives, but it is nice to see Google continuing to make standalone app-like interactions easier and easier for fantastic services that are available online and continuing to grow in number every day.
