Categories: Ionic

Progressive Web Apps

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What is Progressive Web App?

All modern web apps which are installable and which provide the app-like experience and deliver directly via the web are known as progressive web apps. PWA is flexible, fast and reliable.

The best part is that it is only a web app which doesn’t need to install although it can add to the home screen on mobile devices and it behaves like a native app.

These apps are more responsive and work like a native app with network independence and offline support.

PWA developed by using lots of technologies to provide the features of both web and native apps. Like it is very fast to visit a website than installing a native app and even you can share web apps via a link.

sometimes you might be facing CORS issues with Progressive Web Apps, we have the step-by-step solution guide for that also read here.

How Progressive web apps similar to Native apps?

Native apps are more integrated with the operating system and offer a more smooth experience for users.
With Progressive Web Apps we can create web apps that can provide the same experience.

Users also love tapping on the app icons instead of navigating it to the browser. Whereas PWA allows us to add the web app’s icon on the home screen so, we don’t need to scroll the browser any more. We can open it directly from our home screen.
With native apps, users are able to use it offline. And PWA also provides an offline feature by using service workers.
Native apps easily update the data and caching it without effective app performance. With the use of service workers PWA also caching the data and update data in the background without losing performance score.

Best features of Progressive Web Apps

Discoverable

W3C manifests and service worker registration scope allowing PWA to be found through search engines.

Installable

User can add it to the home screen and use it directly from there. It feels like a native app.

Linkable

User can share it simple by URL as normally web apps. PWA provide the features of both web and native apps.

Offline support

Service workers help PWA to work even without caring about poor network.

Progressive

PWA can also work on old browsers and fully compatible with latest one.

Re-engageable

With push notifications, PWA creates the re-engagement of the user. It notifies user about the new content available on the app.

Responsive

PWA is fully responsive on all the available devices like mobile, tablets, desktop, laptops etc.

Safe

With HTTPS, it ensures about the data security between user and app.

App-like

It performs like a regular app by its layout like navigation, buttons and sections with animations.

Caching and updating data

Service workers also allow to caching data and background update data which lead to smooth performance.

Testing Tools

The lighthouse is an open-source automated tool that helps to test the performance of PWA. It removes the old manual process to test the PWA. It helps a lot to improve the quality of progressive web apps.

You can access the Lighthouse from Chrome DevTools.