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Some website like Spotify, WhatsApp, and Discord had something called PWA that can make them a web apps that you can install but some website only offer shortcut. is there a way to Bypass that? on linux

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No, you can't, at least not as useful PWAs.

Let's first take a look at the definition of Progressive Web Apps:

A progressive web app (PWA) is an app that's built using web platform technologies, but that provides a user experience like that of a platform-specific app.

Like a website, a PWA can run on multiple platforms and devices from a single codebase. Like a platform-specific app, it can be installed on the device, can operate while offline and in the background, and can integrate with the device and with other installed apps.

Source

I'll start with the "can operate while offline" specification - that is pretty much impossible to achieve on user's side with many web apps, as they rely on pulling data frequently from the internet. There are PWAs that ignore this and don't even handle lack of connection properly, but I wouldn't necessarily call them fully proper PWAs.

Then we have integration with systems. For example with notifications. This and offline handling is done with help of service workers, which you can't easily define as a user for any sort of websites either. It's also optional in theory, but if you skip such features, there's not much point of PWAs.

And lastly the most important part - ability to install it as an app on various devices. This is done by linking a manifest in the HTML, e.g.:

<link rel="manifest" href="manifest.json">

The manifest defines basic PWA info, such as icons, where the application should start, how it should be displayed, etc.

This part could perhaps be achievable by dynamically adding the tag with your own external manifest through userscript, but once again, I see no point in doing that and it's not even worth trying as adding a website to e.g. your bookmarks is basically a much more optimal equivalent.

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  • ahh, i undertand now.. so if you use chrome on android and "install" the website it's just remove the address bar and act like shortcut instead? (except PWA is available)
    – Ricky Nolep
    Commented Aug 10, 2023 at 7:27
  • Not entirely sure what 'install" means in your context. You could be installing a PWA or just a typical standalone app. Or maybe like you're saying some browser you're using just places a shortcut, I doubt that would be called "install" though. You'd need to be way more detailed (browser, what site, etc.) for an accurate answer.
    – Destroy666
    Commented Aug 10, 2023 at 14:55
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A PWA (Progressive Web App) is different from a website. It has to be written to be a PWA. A PWA can also be used as a webpage or website.

But you can store shortcuts to normal websites on your desktop.

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As others have pointed out, the concept of a "PWA" has certain requirements beyond being installable - like offline support.

The name is often used interchangeably with the idea of an "installable web app" - because that's what most people care about when they think about PWAs.

Many websites published themselves as PWAs with service workers that do nothing simply to make them installable - which obviously goes against the concept behind PWAs.

You can, however, force chrome to install a website to your desktop just like you can with a PWA by clicking:

"settings" -> "Save and share" -> "Install page as app..."

Chrome context menu installing a web app to desktop

This makes it available as an installed app, just like a PWA would be.

Start menu search for that installed app

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