Google is making a huge push to make web apps popular on Android

9to5Google reporting that the big G is making a huge push for progressive web apps on Android with the release of Chrome 57 by allowing these PWAs to have more system access and better integrations into Android (like traditional apps).

The ambitious goal behind Progressive Web Apps is to allow websites to have the same capabilities and features as a native app, but without the initial download. Google has been a heavy backer of this model and will soon grant PWAs more system-wide access and integration in Android.

That sounds nice and all but why not create a native app? I thought we passed the whole web apps phase in mobile long ago. Even if these progressive web apps allow for the same experience as a native app, you still need to convince developers to build them either in addition to or instead of native apps. And personally I’m still unclear as to why you would want to.

Anyway, this is the first step towards truly “mak[ing] web apps first-class citizens of Android,” according to Google.

…Could have sworn we’ve been through this before.

(via 9to5Google.)