Progressive Web Apps are web apps that deliver a user experience every bit as good as a native app. They're installable like native apps, support offline working, and are highly optimised to deliver a smooth, engaging user experience.
The things that make an app a PWA are the Service Worker and the Web Manifest.
- The Service Worker runs on the the user's device and acts as a proxy between the browser and the web server. It maintains an offline cache that gets loaded in the background when the app first runs. When the running app needs a file such as an image, it passes a request to the Service Worker, whose job it is to return that file to the calling app. The Service Worker looks first in its offline cache and only passes a network request to the web server if it can’t find the file locally. This type of local caching enables PWAs to minimises network traffic delay and helps create a smooth and consistent user experience.
- The web manifest is a simple file that tells the browser how the app should behave, and includes information such as the app's name, the home page icons, splash page images and the launch URL.
PWAs bypass the need for an app store because they’re installable directly from your site.
Why not try our PWA starter app on your phone and install it on your home screen?