Bring back PWA (progressive web apps)

[brochard]

Progressive Web apps are an important feature of a browser that Firefox is the only one missing.
For some, it can be the reason to switch to another browser.
In other cases like for the Steamdeck, it's what imposed the choice to only include Chrome in the SteamOS interface.
Other problem even for avid Firefox users, since I wanted Social apps on my pc I had to get them on the Microsoft Store which is an Edge PWA that opens every link in an Edge window, making me use this... other browser.

[saluki]

This is one of those things you'd expect to be here already, but it isn't for some reason. +1

[ikpjr]

PWAs would be useful even if their protocol is not implemented to full extent(e.g. not having offline ability). 

The ability to do lightweight browsing - starting a website in a single window - would have several benefits like reduced resource usage by loading separately from main session(s) window with many tabs. This would be like having detached pinned tabs on demand. Those could be launched from a "PWA" organizer app with a list of PWA(s) to be launched. This lightweight browsing could in alternative be enabled by some kind of separate browsing sessions mechanism.

While PWA's are mostly for specific websites like social, apps like email, calculators, tools and similar websites for which the user expects to accomplish tasks entirely within them without going to third-party sites but not impeding navigation to them, lightweight browsing in general would probably require a session mechanism.

In the desktop, tiling of such PWA windows would enable several tools to coexist side by side for efficient and focused accomplishing of tasks.

[luciano_bestia]

If 227 comments are not enough, I will add another comment to say that this is important.

[Tewan]

Lack of native PWA (not using an extension+helper workaround) is the main reason I've not jumped to Firefox. On a daily basis I use Fastmail and Lounge (Web IRC) as a web app. Without them being contained separately, they are very easy to lose in the stack of tabs I have open. I'd rather keep them separate, running in the background with an easily identifiable icon on my taskbar(Win) / dock(Mac) / home screen(iOS) that I can jump back to. Safari on macOS looks to be getting web app support now as well based on the WWDC keynote (~55min in).

After the Edge update forcing Bing integration with the hideous icon at the top right of the browser, I've been in the market for a new browser again and I'd prefer to get away Chromium but it still seems I'll be stuck there a bit longer.

[barend_miner]

I would love to see this feature implemented in Firefox as well. Personally, the absence of PWA support in Firefox is the primary reason why I'm currently using Brave instead as it supports PWA while having many similar privacy features as Firefox.

[ShadowBottle]

Even Safari is getting PWA in the next major milestone release. Firefox used to have it, Chromium based browsers have it, Safari is going to have it. It's time. ❤️

[FarLine99]

it IS important feature. Users need it. Mozilla developers, please 🥹❤️

[Adonnen]

If the fact that there is a relatively solid community implementation lessens consideration to reintroduce this, I will note that a native implementation could save battery life/performance by not requiring a separate binary to launch. I get the philosophical arguments against PWAs, but when so many apps are already electron, a decent alternative that doesn't require wasteful duplicate instances (and high memory, performance, and battery usage) is really needed.

[mblithium]

Bring support for PWA in Firefox

A very interesting feature present in chromium-based browsers is the possibility of being able to use the site that has support as an app separate from the main browser view, the so-called "PWA". This is especially useful for mobile devices, which, in addition to saving the site in the applications grid, allows quick actions with a long press on the icon, which takes you to specific areas, in addition to fetching notifications from it, some even have resources to use an HTML5 app offline. For desktop it is good in specific situations such as creating a window only for the page, as is the case when using cloud gaming platforms, music, video or even an online programming IDE.

[Jon]

(Note: similar ideas have been merged into this thread)

[Lost]

Please support PWAs or chromium wins. I like having actual browser choices, not just chromium skins.

[Lost]

While working on my Blazor PWA app I came across a post on Reddit referring to Firefox dropping support for PWAs and that anyone who has an interest should voice it here.

Please support PWAs or chromium wins. I don't dislike chromium but I like having actual browser choices, not just chromium skins.

I feel it would be a major setback for Firefox to lose PWAs.

[Shawnecy]

PWAs offer the convenience of native apps without the need to download large files or update them manually. They are always up-to-date, use less storage space, and work across all platforms and devices. For developers, PWAs eliminate the need to develop separate apps for different platforms, reducing development time and costs.

Companies are shifting towards relying on their customers using PWAs over Electron (see Teams for one example), and by not having necessary PWA support, the experience is degraded to the extent that the user is forced to seek out an alternative browser. The only other choice if you want to stick with Firefox is installing questionable extensions that modify the Firefox runtime. No thank you to that.

I think PWA support aligns with ensuring "the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all" sufficiently to warrant it near the top of Firefox's feature priorities. I urge Mozilla to restore the PWA feature back to Firefox. It would send a clear message to its users and the wider web community that it is a browser that listens to its users and is willing to adapt to their needs and the evolving web.

[JSeb]

I hope that PWA will return. In the mid-time, I think that these options could help mitigate the lost and should be voted for:

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/pinned-tabs-in-a-separate-window/idi-p/35068

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/option-to-skip-pinned-tabs-when-using-ctrl-tab-in-about-config/...

[777pirat]

Totally agree. PWAs are more commonly used going forward, even the O365 starts adopting it (e.g. outlook, OneDrive and soon MS Teams). I vote for PWA into FF, so FF is still an option we could use instead of switching to Chromium based browsers.