Web App with Home Screen shortcut

General
1

I’ve got a client app we’ve had listed on Google and Apple for ages. But Apple is a PITA. What we’d really like is to run it as a web app only, but still have the home screen shortcut. Is this possible?

1 Like
2

What exactly do you mean here?

  • Do you mean that you want a link back to the home screen of the website?

Kinda like what I’ve got on the public Answer Portal page at https://www.multitechvisions.com/answer-portal ?

url_upload_663a3c9b32fa5.gif [resize output image]

If that’s what you’re shooting for, you just need to embed the app on a webpage that also includes this button - or header/footer of some sort. :muscle:

3

No. Using the Browser Link URL on a smartphone. But so you can easily get back to the app if you want to.

4

I guess I’m still not following…

  • What’s preventing you from just passing the URL to the app to everyone - skip the app stores?
5

The app is used by about 1500 people for a 1 day music festival. We can easily supply a QR Code for people to get it initially. But my thoughts are how can they get back to it again later, assuming they don’t have access to the code and they’ve closed the browser tab? I’ve heard that for web apps you can somehow make it do a home screen shortcut the first time you go to it.

Skipping the app stores is exactly the reason for doing it this way :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
6

I see what you’re saying, the easiest way would be to simply put the URL for the app on the music festival’s website. If they were to appropriate one of their main menu items for this external url, it would largely solve all the problems.

  • The natural place people will go for information about the festival, it’s the festival’s website.
    • That is going to be the first place people will try and look for information, so if you can put the link there you’ve largely solved your problem.

The thing about adding a home screen shortcut:

  • There is a URL mod that you can use to cause a mobile device to install the app
Normal web app URL:
https://www.appsheet.com/start/___YOUR_APP_ID_HERE___

Install App URL:
https://www.appsheet.com/newshortcut/___YOUR_APP_ID_HERE___
  • Notice the difference is simply the changing of start to newshortcut in the URL.

When clicked (on a mobile device) the device is first prompted to install AppSheet, then they’ll be presented with a popup to save a home screen shortcut.

If you click the newshortcut URL on a PC, you get something like this screen:

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  • Which may be a little confusing, you know?
    • People might be thinking, "I don’t want to PREVIEW, I want to use… what do I do??? Do I have to open this only on my phone?

Maybe that’s what you’re looking for?

If I were you, I would try and just use the web app version of things, skipping the app all together.

  • This way people don’t have to install this “AppSheet” app first - preventing thoughts like, “What’s AppSheet. I’m trying to install the {insert music festival name here} app, not AppSheet. This is broken, maawww…” (^_^)

Instead… they just open the webpage, and things work.

  • Of course this is predicated that they have internet
    • And every music festival I’ve been too has had shoddy wireless, so maybe installing the app ahead of time is the way to go? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯