PWAs

Off Topic
1

Starting to get rid of apps brought me to utilizing my browser to the point I was installing these (progressive) web apps but I wondered if it holds any benefit over good old fashioned browser with its tabs kept open for every site I want it to persist throughout my browsing sessions. It should work the same way as PWAs if I understand correctly, so any drawbacks really? It’s just easier to navigate across tabs than apps. Ty

2

If you’re OK using it in the full browser UI, there are no drawbacks at all. You can switch between both modes without having to re-download the page.

Among other PWA features, it lets you easily open the app/web from your desktop without having to open the browser first.

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I’m not sure about differences with respect to security or privacy, but I think that to a large extent it comes down to whether you prefer an experience that is ‘in the browser’ or you prefer an experience that feels more like a traditional standalone app.

As an aside, it also will depend on what OS and Browser you are talking about as they implement things differently.

In iOS + Safari for instance, extensions work differently in the Browser than they do when you ‘install’ a website as a PWA (using the same browser). For example, Safari + Adguard can block instagram ads, but if you use that same browser + adguard and ‘install’ instagram as PWA, adblocking no long works. IIRC the same is true of youtube as well.

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4

I am reminded of the security incident in LTT where browser login credentials were stolen when a PDF was opened. PWAs can’t prevent those kinds of attacks, right? I mean are the browser cache stored separately and securely?

5

@HauntSanctuary
Yes, all browsers isolate caches by origin for years, see: https://privacytests.org/

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6

I don’t think that’s related to malware operating outside the browser like in LTT’s case.

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7

By chance, would anyone here have experience with how Content Blocker Extensions apply to PWAs?

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If the content blocker you refering to means uBlock Origin and the like, the work just fine with PWA in my windows PC (with Cromite + NoScript + uBlock Origin) and Android phone (Mull + NoScript + uBlock Origin).

9

PWA uses separate profiles for each created app. They do not contain other passwords, but the site, you create app for.

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@KeepItSimple Does this mean PWA app doesn’t know or have the access to cookies and other stuff from the “main” browser?

For example, if I use Cromite and install PWA for example.com site and use it, it won’t have access to anything I browse in Cromite app?

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I tested with https://online.bonjourr.fr/ and this is not correct. Whatever I do in PWA also changes in main browser… I can not test it on desktop now.

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12

Thanks. It’s a shame, I thought PWA would be isolated from a main browser.

Currently, I use the old Bromite app for a single PWA and Cromite as a main browser, so I really hoped I can ditch Bromite.

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@0x1 Using Bromite is a major security hazard at this point, its well over a year out of date. I would really recommend using a different alternate browser instead for your PWA, like Brave.

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14

I think you can just create one user profile for each PWA you use, and create / use the default profile in incognito mode for daily browsing.

Many so called PWA are not that well written and keeps jump back to “browser mode” e.g. Proton, Microsoft outlook.

Using an out of date browser is a terrible idea, anyway.

edit: I have 19 profiles, including a default profile for daily browsing, for a bunch of PWAs. By using separate profiles for PWAs and daily browsing, you won’t need to worry about that issue.

Of course, you might want a separate browser for daily browsing, if you have enough RAM. (16GB is NOT a lot nowadays).

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15

It’s the main reason I use PWA for, to have the same seamless experience with the main browser profile, but with less clustered browser UI.

If you don’t want this, you can do as @TinFoilHat suggested.

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It’s unfortunate, but it seems to be the issues of those poorly written PWAs, not PWA itself.

Like Privacy Guides PWA is quite good, while some like Lebara, Microsoft Outlook, Proton, Skiff, Feedly are quite bad.

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I’m aware Bromite is outdated, hence why I use Cromite and hoped to ditch Bromite completely. Brave unfortunately blocks part of the website page, so it’s a bit useless.

@TinFoilHat you are mentioning 16GB of RAM, so I assume you are talking about PC? Is it possible to create those profiles in Cromite on Android?

I browse in permanent incognito mode and no cookies/settings are saved. So it would be nice to completely separate PWA from the “main” browser.

18

I don’t use Chomium based browser on Android as Mull (Firefox) also supports PWA on android. (I would love to daily drive librewolf on PC as well if firefox also support PWA on desktop environment :confused: )

AFAIK both firefox and chromium browsers do not support multiple user profiles on Android, and the PWAs installed using the main profiles are not isolated from the main browser in “normal” sessions.

To achieve your desired result you might need a separate browser, either a different browser in the same android user profile, or the same browser installed in “Work” profile. I’d say a different browser a better option as “Work” profile is more tricky to work with, and not really necessary for this use case.