At the beginning of 2020, the Chrome team across mobile and desktop laid out a plan to improve the discoverability and engagement of installed web apps. Our work led to a greater than 100% increase in PWA installation and engagement. We achieved this by researching existing features, running A/B test experiments and user interviews to gain insight into users perceptions and expectations. This article covers how we got there.
Mobile devices and the introduction of device vendor app stores have changed users' mental model of how to discover, evaluate and install software. Users are now so familiar with app stores, and the additional information that is provided through app stores such as context about the app, social feedback, ratings etc that you see the app store metaphor emerging in Desktop operating systems including ChromeOS, Mac and Windows.
To release a browser when there were already established ones in the market was a bold move—especially when some of the major browsers were clocking over a million downloads within just hours of their release.
A new font specification that can significantly reduce font file sizes
The Payment Request API offers users an easy way to make payments on e commerce websites and apps with one tap. But getting your bosses or clients to buy into its simplicity and ease of implementation can be tricky.
The ability to add web apps to the home screen has existed for quite some time but with the arrival of offline support, it means we can run our web apps without a network connection. This makes adding to the home screen feel like a real installation, making it a much more powerful feature.
It also means that we must now value our place on a person’s …
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First appeared on Chrome Developers Channel.