Among the abilities coming to Chrome 70 is the ability to install Progressive Web Apps directly onto Windows 10. Google is bringing PWAs to desktop. This is means if you can use a PWA on Chrome, you will also be able to install it on Windows. Once the app is installed, it will appear in the Start Menu and will function like a native app. That’s the beauty of PWAs and is the reason why Microsoft is interested in them. PWAs allow web apps to function on desktop, potentially allowing the app gap on Windows 10 to be reduced. Google apps are not available in the Microsoft Store, leaving users without native Google experiences. With Chrome 70, the situation will change. In the summer, unofficial Google apps were made available on the Store before being removed.
Microsoft embraced PWAs with the launch of Windows 10 April 2018 Update. “Given the overlap in terms of capabilities, we often get asked about the recommended approach: PWA or UWP. We see this as a false dichotomy! In fact, on Windows 10, the Universal Windows Platform fully embraces Progressive Web Apps, because EdgeHTML is a foundational component of UWP,” the company says.
Other Platforms
Of course, Chrome is not only available on Windows, other platforms are supported too. With that in mind, Progressive Web Apps will also come to Linux and Mac. However, Google says these platforms won’t get the support until Chrome 72. As for Windows users, Google Chrome 70 is available now.
