We should make webapps for everything. When done properly they are as fast as native apps, can work on any device and do not require a dev license or account.
I don’t know what that button does but I’m fairly sure it’s not about support for web-apps. Firefox has always supported web-apps, because web-apps are just interactive websites.
Firefox has always supported web-apps, because web-apps are just interactive websites
That’s from August, when support was added back after the feature being dropped in 2020.
Mozilla has released Firefox 143.0. The update lets users pin web apps to the taskbar, but only on Windows.
About a month [ago], I reported that progressive web apps (PWAs) are available via Firefox’s Labs. Now, the feature is available for everyone on Windows.
Progressive Web-apps are a particular kind of web-app. The person you replied to just referred to “webapps”, not this special kind of web-app. Firefox has always supported web-apps.
The nature of progressive web-apps means that you can use them even if the browser doesn’t explicitly support them. All that explicit support does is wrap the web-app in an icon and reduced browser window.
Completely agreed. Nowadays we even have WASM that can run more advanced things, and may even give webapps sandboxed capabilities, and can be run natively on any device with a WASM runtime.
there are technically alternative marketplaces on iOS in the EU, but they do the exact thing google is now copying off apple: apple still has to give the green light. apple “notarizes” every app, even if it goes through a third party app store. this changes the app irreversibly, and ios/ipados devices can only install notarized apps.
“Good thing I got revenge though on Google’s sideloading ban by buying a phone that never allowed it to begin with”
We should make webapps for everything. When done properly they are as fast as native apps, can work on any device and do not require a dev license or account.
They’re now supported on Firefox on Android, so good news!
About time!
Thanks for the great news!
Webapps are now supported on Firefox? Holy smokes!
Yup!
I don’t know what that button does but I’m fairly sure it’s not about support for web-apps. Firefox has always supported web-apps, because web-apps are just interactive websites.
It’s the button to pin a PWA to the taskbar by reading the manifest.json
https://www.maketecheasier.com/enable-progressive-web-apps-firefox/
That’s from August, when support was added back after the feature being dropped in 2020.
This is for the September 16 update.
https://www.ghacks.net/2025/09/16/mozilla-firefox-143-0-adds-support-for-progressive-web-apps-copilot-on-sidebar-important-dates-in-the-address-bar/
Progressive Web-apps are a particular kind of web-app. The person you replied to just referred to “webapps”, not this special kind of web-app. Firefox has always supported web-apps.
The nature of progressive web-apps means that you can use them even if the browser doesn’t explicitly support them. All that explicit support does is wrap the web-app in an icon and reduced browser window.
Completely agreed. Nowadays we even have WASM that can run more advanced things, and may even give webapps sandboxed capabilities, and can be run natively on any device with a WASM runtime.
Funny thing: before the App Store, the original plan for the iPhone was that all third-party apps should be webapps.
Sweet solution
there are technically alternative marketplaces on iOS in the EU, but they do the exact thing google is now copying off apple: apple still has to give the green light. apple “notarizes” every app, even if it goes through a third party app store. this changes the app irreversibly, and ios/ipados devices can only install notarized apps.