Distribit pushes PWAs

Hamza Sellak, who posts under the Distribit name, is pitching progressive web apps as a distribution format that can be shared across X, Reddit, and LinkedIn instead of shipped through app stores. (x.com) A progressive web app is a website built with web code that can be installed on a phone or computer, run in a standalone window, and in some cases work offline or send notifications. Mozilla says a single codebase can run across platforms, while Google’s web.dev says supporting browsers can surface an install button when a site meets install criteria. (developer.mozilla.org) (web.dev) Sellak’s pitch centers on distribution speed: post a link, let users open it immediately, and avoid the review queues and packaging work tied to native mobile releases. Microsoft’s PWA guidance says developers can publish directly on the web without gatekeepers, while also noting app stores add review steps, developer accounts, and submission workflows. (x.com) (dev.to) That approach fits a social-growth playbook because the same URL can travel unchanged through a tweet, a Reddit post, or a LinkedIn update. Native apps usually send users to an app store first, while a PWA opens in the browser and can later be installed from there on supported platforms. (x.com) (web.dev) The tradeoff is capability. MDN says PWAs can work offline, in the background, and integrate with the device, but support still depends on the browser and operating system rather than a single app-store standard. (developer.mozilla.org) (learn.microsoft.com) Apple has widened support in recent years, including Web Push for Home Screen web apps in iOS and iPadOS 16.4, but the company’s policy shifts also showed how platform rules can still affect the format. Apple said on March 1, 2024 that it would keep Home Screen web apps in the European Union after first planning to remove that capability there. (webkit.org) (developer.apple.com) PWA advocates also argue the format can be lighter and cheaper to ship. PWABuilder, a Microsoft-founded open source project, highlights examples including Tinder cutting its app size from 30 megabytes to 2.8 megabytes and Alibaba reporting a 76% increase in total conversions after moving to a PWA experience. (pwabuilder.com) Distribit’s argument, then, is less about a new technology than about a familiar web one being used as a growth channel. The bet is that a link people can open instantly will hit daily distribution targets faster than asking them to detour through an app store first. (x.com) (dev.to)