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.

[MattBCool]

Hi @Hyourinmaru, a couple ways we can support but I'll advocate to deeper discussion and case studies. I'm fully in favor of PWA support and do not work on Firefox directly. Before I joined Mozilla, building a PWA was the only way I could build a solution for thousands of people and to me, PWA's represent freedom from the app stores. I see PWA support (or possibly some feature subset of PWAs) as closely aligned with Mozilla's values of internet freedom in this way. I wrote more on this topic on my personal blog: https://mattcool.tech/posts/escaping-the-app-store-with-progressive-web-apps

Full PWA support is one of the top voted ideas here: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/idb-p/ideas/tab/most-kudoed
You can view shipped ideas here: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/idb-p/ideas/status-key/delivered/tab/most-kudoed

I think @garettmwest's question of how they can contribute to this end is a good one I'd like to forward along to the Firefox team instead of demanding timelines. Making compelling cases for full PWA support in Firefox and sharing them is a good step for us to take. While these changes can take time, we can proactively make our cases in a constructive manner with good faith. Keep in mind how complex this request is, the difficulty in balancing competing priorities, and manage your expectations.

The beauty of open source is we get to do this together. People will disagree and it takes time/energy but this is a part of living our shared values in creating an internet that catalyzes collaboration among diverse communities working together for the common good.

Encourage others to share more specifics and share their individual case with more details like I did here.

[palexdev]

Any concrete news on this?
I see lots of discussions and ideas, but how far are we from the feature being implemented

[chrisv]

This should be on top of the priority list for 2025! I use Firefox as my daily driver, which means I am logged into all my work sites there. I also use silverbullet.md as note-taking app, which is a fantastic, state-of-the-art PWA, but since I have to use it in Chrome (as we can't install PWA in Fx Desktop), all links open in Chrome (in which I am not logged in).

If Mozilla's mission is to promote web standards, they should support them in their own browser.

[bobster]

This is the one thing keeping me on Chrome! Would be so appreciative if this was available again on Firefox. 

[DanielEckl]

So Manifest V3 let me switch to Firefox and there having WhatsApp, Discord, Webmail & Co only as a tab is driving me back. Now I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Of course I can open WhatsApp and so on in it's own window, I don't mind the UI too much, but when I click on a link inside WhatsApp it opens in the same window as a new tab and that's plain horrible for an app-like experience.

[jonthefox333]

This is a much needed feature, the web is increasingly moving towards PWAs. ie. Microsoft with New Outlook etc.

[canopl]

Not having this feature in 2025 is an embarassment. Google is doing everything to be as hostile towards Internet users as possible, and Firefox should capitalise on it by at least keeping up with the features.

[Bohemax]

The first message on this subject was written on 03-01-2022 11:55 AM. Today is January 27, 2025. 3 years have passed and there is still no development. I think Mozilla and Firefox developers do not care about the requests of the users at all and instead prefer to deal with nonsense such as homepage themes that nobody knows when they want. As users, we do our best to prevent Firefox from disappearing, write the features we see missing here and constantly make requests, but we are complaining in vain. It is really a shame.

[MattBCool]

Hi@Bohemax. I can understand your frustration with this specific feature not yet being implemented, but to say Mozilla and Firefox Devs don't care about request from users is simply not fair or true.

Here is a list of delivered features since we have been tracking them here on this relatively new site: https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/idb-p/ideas/status-key/delivered. There are easily over 100 delivered in the last year and a lot more than we track on this site alone. Just yesterday, for example, a PR was made to the new web extensions API allowing for text to audio to be leveraged in offline addons, completely inspired by a user that isn't connected/reflected here. The community supporting Firefox is deep and strong. Not everyone prioritizes PWA's like we do.

I'm rooting for PWA support. I believe they present us with freedom from the app stores and create better accessibility for developers.

We can support this effort through constructive conversation and helping to educate others about the benefits. We need to convince folks this is a worthy feature and worth the investment. Lets stay positive and work together to raise awareness.

[julien_htm]

Hi @MattBCool 

Sorry but your answer is a joke.

How do you want to be credible when this feature asked since 3 years (which is just exactly what mozilla should support to be aligned with its strategy, in consequence users shoudn't have to request), is not implemented.

I left Firefox 4 months ago just for this reason. I was tired to switch from Chrome to Firefox on my laptop because mozilla is too stupid to implement PWA. And by the way, Chrome is far faster than firefox, so you don't have to put spokes in your wheels with that kind of mistake. I no longer recommend Firefox to anyone, even though I did for years.

Please don't answer, just do.

[ReX83]

Hi @MattBCool, what else has to be discussed constructively?

This was raised three years ago and is still under review. What's holding the team back? Is there a philosophical reason we're missing, or is it just too complex?

It's a top-voted idea and a much-needed feature. It's stopping people from switching from Chrome or Edge. When I click a link in my Chrome PWA, it opens in Chrome. I have to copy the link and manually open it in Firefox. It doesn't work.

[ScottJenson]

Yeah @MattBCool I'd like to agree with @ReX83 It's been a very long time, with zero communication from Mozilla. I think we are allowed a bit of skepticism (and even maybe a bit of snark) on this issue. No one is saying the team hasn't been busy! But this is a key feature that is core to 'building on the web'. If Mozilla isn't making this a priority, how can they say they believe in the web?

[Deviate]

As much as I appreciate the work done on those list. I am still skeptical about why is PWA support still not yet implemented, FOR THREE years. It makes me question really about "listening" to users. Or just the core team just decided to left it on the backlog intentionally with no plans for it. Other top requested features get implemented not even a year.  But this support is just taking way to long since it was suggested.

[linuxturtle]

Like so many others have said, it's really an embarrassment for Mozilla that this top-voted regression bug has been "in review" for 3 years with absolutely no justification or reasoning from Mozilla.  Not even a "it's just too hard".  On a personal level, at least once every few months, I forget about this regression in Firefox and try to switch away from a Chrome-based browser, but this bug stops me in my tracks.  Chrome/Brave has plenty of bugs and problems, and that's what often causes me to try and switch to Firefox, but the regression of no longer supporting PWAs is a complete show-stopper for me, and I can't get past it.  I have way too many of them, and depend too heavily on the functionality.

[MattBCool]

Hi @ReX83, @ScottJenson, @linuxturtle  and @Deviate, I really appreciate your passion and care on this issue. I can see how the discussions are a bit scattered and it might appear to you there has been little to no communication but please allow me to direct you to the right place:
https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/how-can-firefox-create-the-best-support-for-web-apps-on-t...

An issue I notice with this thread is when we talk about "PWA support" it's not clearly defined. The app I wrote technically still works offline in Firefox as a web app on mobile for example. I would say the experience is better on android Chrome than android Firefox because on Chrome it 'feels more like a native app'. Maybe this is more actionable feedback for the Firefox team and closer to what we want to do to be constructive. At any rate, the discussion linked above is a good one for us to see the care and nuance of this issue and the communication from Mozilla.