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Have You Seen? Install Forum as an App! (except for iOS/Safari)

LondonDragon

LondonDragon

Administrator
UKAPS Team
Joined
21 Feb 2008
Messages
12,588
Location
London
Firstly what is this?
This technology is called Progressive Web App (PWA) and what it enables the user to do, is convert a website/forum into an App/Icon on your mobile device, and you can have it on your phone home screen for example and with the added Push Notifications that I have enabled earlier it becomes very interactive like all your other social media Apps.

Note: Currently Apple does not allow Web Notifications or PWA on their devices, shame on you Apple!! :(

How to install this App?

First you need to be using the Blue Style, at the footer of the page where it says UKAPS Green Style, click on it and change to Blue, follow the steps below:

Most browsers nowadays have the option to install websites that support PWA to your home screen.
Using the browser on your mobile device go to the forum webpage

In the address bar you should see an install icon or a plus sign.

For example on my Android phone I see it like this using the stock browser:
pwa01.jpg


Once you click on that button it will ask if you want to install it!

pwa02.jpg


Once you install it, it will show it on your App folder/homescreen.

On my stock browser you could also install it from the browser options:

pwa03.jpg

Then you will get an icon on your home screen (on Android it will add it to your Apps page and then you need to add it to your home screen), it will also show you notification number:

pwa04.jpg


Once you complete the installation, you can change back to your preferred Green/Dark style.

Hope this is useful for some, and the App will open the forum as standalone and full screen. :)
 
Last edited:
Zeus. said:
Good to see you using a phone where you make the choices not the OS :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Indeed, I am not a fan of iOS, by the time they introduce a "feature" I have been using it for years on my devices! and I like tweaking my device to my needs, iOS is becoming better though, and Apple did make it nice and simple for the mainstream user (from a 5 year old to an OAP can easily use an iPhone/iPad), that’s where they won the battle, also ensuring the user doesn't have much control over the OS makes it less prome to break it and the experience to be simplified. Pros and Cons to both ;)
 
EA James said:
Tried this a few times now on my iPhone and can’t seem to do it, not sure if it’s me not being tech savvy or just stupid
Click to expand...
Quick search and seems to be Apple being an blahblahblahblah on iOS!!

Here what is being said about it:
Additionally, as with push notifications, these features are only available on devices and browsers that fully support PWAs. Would you care to take a guess as to what the most notable exceptions might be? As you may have suspected, once again Safari on macOS and any iOS-based browsers are the culprits due to Apple's ongoing failure to implement industry standards. While Safari on both macOS and iOS does support graceful offline handling, it does not support installation or badging at this time.
Click to expand...
Guess it will be a WOW feature they will announce at some stage in the near future!!

EA James said:
I want the app looking icon like @LondonDragon has!!
Click to expand...
Guess you will need to buy a proper phone! That runs a decent operating system :p
 
Haha ah man I’m gutted! I love everything neat and tidy and that lovely little UKAPS icon would have fitted perfectly into my ‘fishy folder’ on my phone. I have one space left that needs filling! I’ll have to wait until apple release this ‘new’ feature
Cheers anyway Paulo 👍🏻
 
EA James said:
I’ll have to wait until apple release this ‘new’ feature
Click to expand...
I will see if there is another way to add it on iOS, need to nick my missus iPad and play around with that.
 
EA James said:
Top man 👍🏻
Click to expand...
It's actually an Apple limitation to force Developers to actually write Apps for the Store, otherwise sites just enabled PWA and have no need to publish an App just for users to get notifications! I will make a note at the top to warn people, so they don't waste time on an Apple device. I suggest like many other sites have mentioned, complain to Apple about this :p

www.change.org

Signez la pétition

Apple Inc.: Implement web push notifications on iOS devices
www.change.org www.change.org
 
LondonDragon said:
In the address bar you should see an install icon or a plus sign.
Click to expand...
I'm not getting this, maybe my phone is too old. Is this using desktop or mobile site? I do get a popup saying allow notifications, I don't get them on my phone but it seems to work in Firefox on my Desktop hence why my VAT return I'm trying to do has taken nearly 3 days :D
 
AverageWhiteBloke said:
I'm not getting this, maybe my phone is too old.
Click to expand...
Should work on Android 6.0 and above using Chrome browser to set up. But also depends on what phone manufacturers do with the OS!
 
Looks like that to me mate.

Screenshot_20201225-003518.png
 
LondonDragon said:
Awesome, thanks for letting me know
Click to expand...
Sorted it mate, if anyone can't find the little icon @LondonDragon mentioned earlier on in the post like me try hitting the three horizontal bars in the browser and scroll down to the bottom. The option is there.
Screenshot_20201229-203158.png
 
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