01On Mac (Safari)
Since macOS Sonoma, Safari can save a page as a web app. Apple's support article gives the steps: open the page, choose File, then Add to Dock from the menu bar (or click Share and choose Add to Dock), type a name and click Add. The web app is saved to the Applications folder in your home folder and opens from the Dock or Spotlight.
Web apps on Mac run separately from Safari, with their own cookies and history, and a simplified toolbar. You can change the name, icon and URL from the app's Settings.
02On Windows, Mac or Linux (Chrome and Edge)
These are the steps in Google's Chrome help. Edge works the same way under Apps, then Install this site as an app, and Microsoft's documentation describes installed sites appearing in the Start menu and taskbar like other apps. To remove one in Chrome, open it, choose More, then Uninstall.
- 1Open the site in ChromeGo to the page you want the app to open.
- 2Open the menuSelect More (three dots), then Cast, save, and share.
- 3Choose Install page as appOn some sites an Install icon also appears at the right of the address bar.
- 4Name it and installIt opens in its own window and appears in your apps.
03On iPhone and Android
On iPhone, open the site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen, and leave Open as Web App on. On Android, open the site in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, then Install app or Add to Home screen. How to add a website to your home screen has the full steps and troubleshooting.
04What you get, and what you do not
Developers on Hacker News point out that installing websites as apps is far from obvious to most people, and clients are often surprised to learn that Chrome and Edge can do it at all.
| You get | You do not get |
|---|---|
| Its own window and icon | An app from the App Store or Play Store |
| No browser tabs or address bar | Features the site does not support |
| Separate sign-in from the browser (often) | Offline use, unless the site supports it |
| Notifications, if the site supports them | Faster loading by itself |
05If you own the website: making it installable
A site becomes a proper web app, or progressive web app, with three things: a web app manifest (a small file with the app's name, icons and colors), HTTPS, and usually a service worker for offline support. web.dev's installation guide and MDN explain each. Browsers then offer Install automatically.
If you need a real store app, wrapper tools can package a web app for app stores, but review rules apply. For most small businesses and creators, an installable website is enough. Static vs dynamic websites and is React good for a website? cover the technical choices.
What people who tried it say
Hacker News threads show both sides: people who rely on web apps were upset when Apple briefly planned to remove them in the EU, while developers say most users have never noticed the install option.
- Ask HN: Why are PWA user install stats so hard to find?Hacker News
Developers said installing a website as an app is not obvious on Safari, and that people are often surprised to learn Chrome and Edge can install sites as desktop apps.
- Apple confirms iOS 17.4 removes Home Screen web apps in the EUHacker News
Users who relied on Home Screen web apps were angry at losing them; Apple reversed the decision weeks later, and the feature stayed. The thread shows how many people use saved sites as apps.
Looking for more first-hand opinions? Search Reddit for “how to make a website an app”. We link the live threads rather than summarizing them, so you read them in full.
Our take
for tools you keep open all day, such as email, a calendar or a project board, installing the website as an app is better than another browser tab. Try it with one site this week.
Where this falls short
Menu names change between browser versions. Safari web apps on Mac need macOS Sonoma or later; features such as notifications depend on what the website supports.
Sites built with Orlume are real Next.js projects, so adding a web app manifest and icons to make them installable is a small change.
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Sources
- 1.Use Safari web apps on Mac · Apple Support
- 2.Use web apps · Google Chrome Help
- 3.The user experience of installed web apps · Microsoft Learn
- 4.Installation · web.dev
- 5.Progressive web apps · MDN Web Docs
Researched and written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026
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