OJapp Tips
Web Tips from a Tool Developer
Which Websites Are Good for PWA? Choosing by Use Case Instead of Site Type
Which websites are a good fit for PWA? Blogs, e-commerce, web tools, membership services, and local business sites can all benefit in different ways. The key question is simpler: does the user have a reason to return to the same URL?
Why Turn a Web Tool into a PWA? Launch Frequently Used Tools from the Home Screen
A useful web tool should not require a search every time you need it. Turning a frequently used web tool into a PWA can give it a direct home screen entry, making timers, calculators, generators, converters, and other lightweight tools feel much closer to everyday apps.
Why Use PWA for a Local Business Website? Reservations, Menus, Coupons, and Return Visits
A local business PWA does not have to be a full custom app. Restaurants, salons, clinics, and shops can use the home screen as a direct return path to reservations, menus, opening hours, coupons, and other pages customers use repeatedly.
Why Use PWA for E-Commerce? Putting Individual Product Pages on the Home Screen
PWA for e-commerce does not have to mean turning the entire store into one app. Individual product pages can become home screen entries, giving shoppers a direct way to return to products they are considering, waiting for, or buying repeatedly.
How App-Like Should a PWA Be? Sometimes Keeping the Web Matters
Should a PWA try to look exactly like a native app? Explore standalone, fullscreen, home screen UX, links, URLs, and why keeping some of the web's natural behavior can produce a better PWA design.
PWA Home Screen Icons Explained: name, short_name, and icons
What determines the name and icon of a PWA on the home screen? Learn how the Web App Manifest fields name, short_name, and icons work, why Android maskable icons matter, and how to design clearer home screen entry points.
What Should You Use for PWA start_url? Home Page, Current Page, or a Dedicated URL
What should a PWA start_url point to? Compare the site root, a fixed page, a dynamically resolved current page, a dedicated launch URL, and stateful URLs, including how start_url: "." fits page-level PWA design.
Why Add a PWA to the Home Screen? The Real Benefit Is Returning
The value of adding a PWA to the home screen is not just offline support, push notifications, or an app-like UI. It creates a direct return path to a useful web page. Learn how home screen access changes repeat visits and what you can build after users return.
A PWA Really Starts After It's Added to the Home Screen
A PWA is not finished when users add it to their home screen. The real value begins when they return through that icon. Learn how to detect standalone launches, change the UI for home screen users, show contextual offers, and measure whether your PWA is actually being used as a return path.
Are PWAs Safe? Security Risks, Permissions, Service Workers, and Web App Differences Explained
Are PWAs safe or dangerous? Learn how PWA security actually works by separating Web App Manifests, Service Workers, push notifications, localStorage, cookies, permissions, and normal web security.
How to Track PWA Home Screen Launches in Analytics Beyond UTM Parameters
Learn how to measure PWA launches from the home screen separately from normal website traffic. This guide explains why UTM parameters alone cannot reliably identify standalone launches and shows how to use display-mode: standalone with GA4 custom events or your own analytics endpoint.
PWA standalone vs fullscreen: What's the Difference and Which Should You Use?
What is the difference between display: standalone and fullscreen in a PWA Web App Manifest? Based on real iPhone and Android testing, this guide compares browser UI, app-like presentation, screen space, platform behavior, and when each display mode makes sense.
PWA vs External APK: What’s the Difference If Neither Requires an App Store?
PWAs and externally distributed APKs can both bypass app stores, but they work very differently. Compare installation, updates, security, device access, and iPhone support.
The Fastest Way to Add a PWA: A Minimal Setup You Can Start With
You do not need Service Workers, push notifications, or complex caching to start with PWA. Learn how a minimal Web App Manifest—or one OJapp script—can add home screen support in minutes.
What If We Have the PWA Question Backwards? The Future of Web vs. Apps
PWAs are often described as the Web getting closer to native apps. But what if the bigger question is whether apps can ever be as discoverable, linkable, and instantly usable as the Web?