A progressive web app (PWA) is a website that can be installed to a phone or desktop, keep working with a poor connection or none at all, and send push notifications — without going through an app store. We build them from scratch, or add the capability to a site you already have.
Everything else about the site stays the same. These three pieces are what a browser looks for before it treats a site as an installable app.
A small JSON file that tells the browser the app's name, icons, colours and how it should open. It is what makes the site installable.
A script the browser runs in the background. It caches files so the app still loads on a weak connection, or with no connection at all.
PWAs only work on a secure connection. This is already standard for any modern website, so it is rarely extra work.
Each of these has real limits, mostly on iPhone and iPad. Where that matters, it is noted below.
Opens in its own window with no address bar. On Android and desktop Chrome or Edge the browser offers an install button; on iOS the user adds it manually from the Safari share menu.
Pages and data you choose to cache stay available with no connection. What gets cached, and for how long, is decided per project.
Supported on Android and desktop. On iPhone and iPad, push works only on iOS 16.4 or later, and only after the app has been added to the Home Screen.
Changes go live the moment you publish, the same as a website. There is no app-store review, and nothing for users to update.
The same app runs on Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. There is no separate native iOS or Android build to write and maintain.
Every screen has a URL. You can link straight to it from an email, a QR code, a message or a search result.
If the requirements point to a native app, we will say so before any work starts.
Whether we start from scratch or add PWA support to your current site, the steps are the same.
We look at what the app needs to do and confirm a PWA is the right approach before building anything.
Set the app name, colours and display mode, and produce a full icon set including maskable icons and iOS touch icons.
Choose a caching strategy for your content, add an offline fallback screen, and handle app updates cleanly.
Check install, offline behaviour and notifications on Android and iOS, and run a Lighthouse audit.
Push notification setup, and a Google Play listing generated from the PWA using a Trusted Web Activity.
The same team maintains it afterwards, the same as our other work.
Android and Chromium browsers support the full set. Safari on iPhone and iPad supports most of it, with the differences below.
| Capability | Android & desktop (Chrome / Edge) | iPhone & iPad (Safari) |
|---|---|---|
| Install to home screen | Browser prompts to install | Manual, from the Share menu |
| Opens in its own window | Yes | Yes |
| Offline via service worker | Yes | Yes |
| Push notifications | Yes | iOS / iPadOS 16.4+, only once installed |
| Background sync | Yes | No |
| Listed in an app store | Optional, via Google Play (TWA) | Not available |
Browser support changes over time. We confirm current behaviour on real devices during the build.
Tell us what the app needs to do, and we'll tell you honestly whether a PWA, a plain website or a native app makes more sense.