How to install Progressive Web Apps in Microsoft Edge for Android

This week, Google brought PWA support to macOS and improved its Windows 10 support officially supporting it on all platforms. While Microsoft supports PWAs on all its active platforms with Edge, the browser doesn’t yet support what one would think the most interesting feature of PWAs- the ability to set them to run in their own windows as if they were native apps on Windows.

On Android, however, it’s a different story. I’m getting ahead of myself, first, let’s talk about why you would want to install PWAs on an Android phone when you have a fully stocked app store. First of all, PWAs are web apps at their core, and so take up little space on your device. If you’re trying to save space, you can installs PWAs like Twitter and Instagram and cove 90% of usage scenarios with those. They also consume less RAM and battery than full apps most of the time.

How to install PWAs with Microsoft Edge Mobile

1. Open a Progressive Web App. Now, while you can’t tell which apps are PWAs like you can in Chrome, you can use AppScope for a directory of PWAs. Or you can trial and error it.
2. Once in the web app, tap Edge’s overflow (…) button and hit ‘Add to home screen.’
3. A shortcut will now be created and appear on your homescreen with a small edge logo on it. Progressive Web apps will launch in their own full windows like normal apps however, while non-progressive web apps will launch in edge like normal web shortcuts.