First Windows 10 Progressive Web Apps (PWA) published by Microsoft hit the Store

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Microsoft is publishing new web-apps to its Store under its name. This is the first wave of PWAs for Windows 10.

The first grouping of Microsoft-published and approved Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are now live in the Microsoft Store for those on Windows 10 build 1803 (aka Redstone 4). This batch is the first of what is expected to be hundreds of modified websites merged with Microsoft's app platform.

Microsoft has promised that PWAs will be treated as "first-class citizens" in Windows 10. That's not just programming talk either as the hybrid apps – a cross between PWA and the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) – will often be published by Microsoft themselves.

All the new PWAs can be run on Windows 10 PC, Mobile, HoloLens and Hub.

That process is now going forward with fourteen apps now live in the Store in addition to the official Twitter PWA.

The listings were first observed by the Italian site Aggiornamenti Lumia who documented the app listings. Interestingly, the apps are all published under the name "Microsoft Store."

The first grouping of PWAs in the Microsoft Store include:

Microsoft has previously detailed how they will get PWAs into the Store without relying on companies to publish themselves. In a recent Microsoft Edge Developer blog post:

In the next release of Windows 10, we intend to begin listing PWAs in the Microsoft Store. Progressive Web Apps installed via the Microsoft Store will be packaged as an appx in Windows 10 – running in their own sandboxed container, without the visual or resource overhead of the browser.This has a number of benefits to users: PWAs installed via the store will appear in "app" contexts like Start and Cortana search results, and have access to the full suite of WinRT APIs available to UWP apps. They can differentiate their experience on Windows 10 with enhancements like access to local calendar and contacts data (with permission) and more.

Three new PWAs running in Windows 10 as "apps".

There are two paths to get those PWAs into the Store:

  1. Developers can proactively submit PWAs to the Microsoft Store.
  2. The Microsoft Store, powered by the Bing crawler, will automatically index selected quality PWAs.

Today's soft-launch falls in line with step number two:

We've been using the Bing Crawler to identify PWAs on the web for nearly a year, and as we've reviewed the nearly 1.5 million candidates, we've identified a small initial set of Progressive Web App experiences which we'll be indexing for Windows 10 customers to take for a spin over the coming weeks…Throughout this process, we'll continue to vet our quality measures for PWAs, to make sure we're providing a valuable, trustworthy, and delightful experience to our mutual customers on Windows devices.

Eventually, the process will be fully automated with PWAs auto-populating the Microsoft Store. Owners of those sites can reclaim their PWAs under their ownership later for further development or download statistics.

The Space PWA runs on Windows 10 Mobile too.

The Space PWA runs on Windows 10 Mobile too.

Microsoft is expected to detail further plans around PWAs at its Build developer conference in early May. Also, at least three deep-dive sessions into PWAs will be held at Build for developers to learn more about the hybrid-web platform.

Interestingly, all the PWAs are also available for Windows 10 Mobile users, though it is unclear if they will get the full benefits of push notifications, offline cache support, and deeper linkage to the OS through Service Workers.

Further info about PWAs

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Executive Editor

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

108 Comments
  • Finally some light at the end of the tunnel.. Love it...
  • Wow! Overnight you can search for the Mens Warehouse app, and the Carfax app, and actually get the app.... That's actually a REALLY BIG DEAL!...
    ..........
    This might be the beginning of where the app gap is no longer an issue... Of course we're still talking years, but mobile technology is here to stay, so the world has time.. Now, MS just needs that can't live without mobile device.
  • Hopefully we will be seeing several top websites and Google Apps as PWAs on the Windows Store soon. Also Xbox support would be good.
  • Yepers
  • Only a matter of time until Google breaks Edge compatability though.
  • No, Web Assembly is the end of the app gap.
  • There will still be a gap. These "apps" aren't going to be anywhere near as good as the native ones available on other platforms. They won't change anything.
  • Dude, Mobile!
    Sweet.
  • Wait, these run on Windows 10 Mobile? How? Don't you need to be on version 1803 in mobile, too, to run them?
  • Not really. At its core, these are just websites wrapped in an .appx UWP file. What W10M may not get are the advanced new features of PWAs like push notifications, offline cache support, etc., which is what really makes PWAs different from older web wrappers. It's the "service workers" paradigm and some other tweaks of PWAs that make them feel like apps. Still, even without those PWA websites are just better even if just using a browser. They load faster, have a scalable and responsive design, use less data, and are smaller in file size than a native app. Some of these features are not yet even live for those on RS4 desktop e.g. not all of us get push notifications yet on Twitter.
  • When will the phone icon start to disappear from the store, after the support ends? Or do you think it will be repurposed for Andromeda?
  • If the PWA apps are flooding the Windows Store, it would definitely help mitigating the app-gap issue for Andromeda. W10M could also probably rise from the dead? :-)
  • I don't think W10M will rise, it would be costly to change strategies now. Downvotes for a simple question? Y'all must think I'm Bleached or something.
  • Cause u asked something u shouldn't be asking in the first place. There are enough reasons, apps and features to keep W10M up as people still use it like me.
  • Lol. No there isn't. Step out of that fantasy world u are clinging to
  • you really are bleached @pairatyce
  • lol you people. ..if it was bleached, that person would be like "NO!!!! windows mobile 10 is forever dead, nobody gives AF cuz its dead and its gonna stay dead cuz i said so" : ) . . but ignorance is the path to butthurt we cant help them..just let em burn out like a candle..
  • I expect there are days when even Bleached doesn't want to be Bleached
  • The Twitter PWA gives me notifications on the Action Centre but they are blank (no headline or description).
    I'm already on RS4 on the Insider Fast Ring
  • Same here but slow ring.
  • Daniel,, you know this question is coming.
    Are you aware of plans for Windows Central to add a PWA version of the site in the store?
  • Service workers can be enabled on Edge Mobile by typing "about:flags" in the address bar (at least on the "latest" fast track insider build). Four service worker options are available under "Experimental features": Enable service workers
    Enable push notifications
    Enable background sync
    Enable service worker cache storage
  • Remarkably, you can download them right now on the current latest version of W10M. (Though the MyCarFax PWA is awful, a webwrapper that fails to adjust to a mobile layout)
  • Wohoo dancing with myself...
  • Can someone explain something... Load of website say this new app system cannot be installed on windows mobile 10 yet all these installed and worked on my Lumia 1520. So do all PWAs work on W10 mobile?
  • Like Daniel said in an earlier response, these are just web sites that progressively take advantage of modern APIs to enhance the user experience. Service worker cache being the primary feature. Since they are web sites they work everywhere!
  • Seen now, somehow those responses were not showing earlier. So basically they run but don't have all the back end support like notifications etc. Shame. Still not too worried not gonna change from WP for a bit, being dyslexic I need white text on black and dark theme is not there across ios or android ad well as it is on WP10.
  • These are the underwhelming first batch of PWA.
  • Yeah especially I've never heard of any of these so called websites before. Like who would use "The penny hoarder" or "ASOS"?
    I'm waiting for Google, Microsoft, etc. to publish the more common "apps" or websites into PWA. Then I'd be happy.
  • I know of the penny hoarder, Skyscanner, and airfare watchdog (as in I use them). Just because you don't know it doesn't mean they aren't widely used.
  • Edit: I definitely know men's warehouse buy don't use their site much
  • Trying to figure out why someone would actually need an app for Men's Warehouse........ How many wedding parties, or $hitty overpriced suits do you buy that you need notifications from the store?
  • There's always that one person out there 😂
  • ASOS is a HUGE online clothing store here in the UK. Pretty sure they are a worldwide store nowadays too?
  • You've never heard of Carfax? The Men's Warehouse?
  • 😂
  • You'll like the way you look. I guarantee it
  • @RohanRonQM. Asos are a big name when it comes to online clothing retail in the UK, so it's a big thing. It may not mean much to people in the US. Interesting, this articles contradicts the things I've heard about PWA (primarily Microsoft acting as the publisher, I heard they would have been automated from the get go). Much more digging is necessary I think.
  • TravelZoo and Oyster are pretty popular sites tho...
  • Screen rotation seems disabled for both pwas I've tried :-(
    Only portrait mode available...
  • Pretty awful if I may say so myself. It's literally Edge without the top part (buttons, tabs, address bar...).
    Up until this point I thought it's gonna be ok, but after downloading one and seeing what we're working with here, all I can say is you can't fool people. Native is native, and a website is a website. I guess it still has it's place for some things, but you should avoid these unless you really can't aford to.
  • Pop up ads seem the worse, although on Mobile, ironically, it looks more native. But yeah, performance ain't great. Of course, I couldn't really see myself using any of these sites regularly anyway even they had a native app, so there's that.
  • Performance is tied to how well the site is developed, just like it does even when you load the site in a 'regular browser'.
    If your performance Sucks normally it will still suck as a PWA.
    The sad reality is the average site takes 22 seconds to load on mobile because most sites simply try to load too much JavaScript and CSS, most of it never being used. Unfortunately, if they don't weed those sites out then Microsoft will suffer from the site's issues as they are perceived as being the bottleneck.
  • Yeah and being published under Microsoft won't help the image for a slow loading PWA. I can foresee a lot of mediocre making it's way into the store if this is a sample of the offerings
  • Can you install 'Flipkart' app in the store? Earlier it was native app however few months back it was replace by website. I guess it has been built using react framework. Can someone install and give some opinion? In my opinion this is the only app that is as good as native app. I thought pwa was going to offer the same experience but i no. I dont know why this app performs so good while pwa sucks. Can anyone explain?
  • agreed with FlipKart app turning into PWA and its good.
  • Yeah. IMO its the only app that does the job as good as native despite being a web app. I mean, I wasn't even angry at Flipkart when they replaced pretty good native app with web app. I wished other pwas also worked the same way.
  • inb4 the regulations and filtered PWA listing as in Microsoft may ditch the bad ones by going with its safety regulations and what not; after all isn't that what the Microsoft Store was made for in the first place ? a universal app solution that follows a common standard for each device form factor which is both secure and optimized.
  • 100% agreed. I refuse to install apps that are just Web wrappers (both on Windows and my Android phone), I see no reason why I would want these, even though they are supposedly more functional
  • Then you probably rarely install apps since over 80% of app store apps have always been just hybrid apps.
  • Why actively refuse to install those kind of apps? Is it performance related or some kind of principle?
  • Apps should be native, Web wrapper apps are pointless - the websites do the same job. If and only IF PWA apps get better functionality then I'll start using them. The new Twitter app is horrible
  • Gotcha. Well like it has been mentioned before some apps actually make more sense as PWA like Twitter, but it doesn't mean you wouldn't ever build native apps. PWA is still in its early stages if you haven't noticed, it will hypothetically improve and have more advanced features like offline caching. I'm not surprised it's not working as well as people expect it to yet so I'm not suggesting to use an app PWA or otherwise that doesn't work well yet.
  • I think this more about efficiency........ Think about it, the dev teams at these places are spread out between Web, IOS, Android, etc...... If you can eliminate half your dev team overhead, and code for web only, and still have a store presence on all platforms, that would be a no brainer to me.
  • Websites DON'T do the same job, that's the entire reason apps exist in the first place.
  • OK, am I blind... I'm not finding a way to bring up PWAs as a category to view all available.
  • Look for what is published by "Microsoft Store" my friend. 😉
  • Thank you. I was struggling to find the PWAa until I read you post. My L950 just started elbowing my OnePlus 3T.
  • Thank you Antoine... very much appreciated! Now I can get back to FarCry5 and do some fishing now I have that off my mind.
  • I searched for "Microsoft Store". Then clicked on the SkyScanner app (since I knew that was one of the PWAs) which allowed me to click on the Publisher "Microsoft Store". This may be the long way around but it worked.
  • Thank you Daniel for the video. It was very informative.
  • I love that it is possible for Microsoft to automatically index select pwa's. getting companies to build apps was the biggest pain; in this case, the companies already built the apps and Microsoft is just hosting them in a convenient location.
  • I use flipboard on my lumia 950 xl and after I log in it is a pwa. Works like an app looks good.
  • Any chance windows central could stop using the bloody pink font, against black I can't read it. Must be old age but **** it's so 90's.
  • you can change it in the settings of the Windows Central app on Windows 10 devices.
  • But we told you it was compatible with Mobile.
  • Who we?
  • We.
  • Cool, go install the Twitter PWA from the Store.
  • The Twitter PWA is awful compared to the native app
  • What's awful about it? Seems closer to the experience on Android and iOS to me...
  • Twitter is just a 💩 platform to begin with...
  • But twitter its not part of "The first grouping of PWAs in the Microsoft Store".
  • Never said it was, I was responding to Daniel's comment "go install the Twitter PWA from the store"
  • Never said you said it was, I was responding to Daniel's comment "go install the twitter pwa from store"
  • This is AMAZING news. Just downloaded Space. Works well.
  • Suppose they have to start somewhere. Waiting for PWAs like Starbucks before I jump in though. Not a huge fan of their coffee, but don't hate it either, and have been earning free SB cards from MS Rewards since it was Bing Rewards, and can't argue with free!
  • Microsoft should bring Uber PWA to the Store and fix the support problem we are having in Windows 10 Mobile.
  • Yes, if they could only push that one update to W10M I'd be happy.
  • Not if it its based on google maps
  • Well google is the driving force behind PWA so i guess you wont be using any of them, right?
  • Right.
  • Uber just sold their business in SEA region to local company called Grab. That's just sad because I cannot use their service anymore. And that local company don't have Windows app.
  • Nice to see, but meh on current selection.