Lesson #1: PWA’s
Get started by publishing your PWA.
About PWA’s
PWA is short for ‘Progressive Web App’. This version is the simplest to publish, and doesn’t require you to add your app to the Google Play or Apple app stores.
Users will be able to access your app from their mobile web browser by navigating to the url (i.e., app.yourwebsite.com)
However, PWA’s do come with some limitations.
Android Users:
PWA’s work well for Android users. When opened in the mobile browser, the user will see a prompt to add the app to their home screen. Push notifications are also easy to set up and work just fine.
Apple Users:
Currently, PWA’s do have some limitations on Apple devices. The user is not automatically prompted to add the app to the home screen, and instead must manually add it (see instructions below). Push notifications can be set up to work, but an Apple developer account is required to do this ($99/yr).
Instructions for Apple users:
1) Open the browser by tapping on the Safari icon
2) Navigate to app url (i.e., app.yourwebsite.com)
3) Tap on the Share button at the bottom of the browser window. It’s represented by a square with an up arrow in the foreground
4) The iOS Share Sheet will now appear, overlaying the main browser window. Select the option labeled “Add to home screen”