Twitter's progressive web app (PWA) is one of the most prominent out there, powering the mobile site, Twitter for Windows, and the Twitter Lite app for Android. And now, it looks like the social media giant is ready to bring that experience to its full desktop site – or it's starting to, at least.
Twitter announced today that it is conducting a test of a "new Twitter for web" with a small set of users. The refreshed experience leverages the company's PWA, bringing bookmarks and the "Explore" page to your desktop browser.
Love to use Bookmarks and want it on web? Into scrolling through Explore to see what's happening?
We are testing out a new Twitter for web, which a small number of people will see today. Love it? Missing something? Reply and tell us. Don't have the new experience? Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/w4TiRrVFHULove to use Bookmarks and want it on web? Into scrolling through Explore to see what's happening?
We are testing out a new Twitter for web, which a small number of people will see today. Love it? Missing something? Reply and tell us. Don't have the new experience? Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/w4TiRrVFHU— Twitter (@Twitter) September 6, 2018September 6, 2018
That Twitter is putting its weight behind such a broad expansion of the new experience is an encouraging sign for PWAs. The move comes as Microsoft is also placing an emphasis on the future of PWAs as a responsive, native app-like experience for a range of devices, going so far as to begin publishing them in the Microsoft Store.
For now, the new Twitter on the desktop web is limited to a small subset of users. However, you can get a look at the experience by using the Windows 10 PWA (opens in new tab) or heading to the Twitter mobile site in a desktop browser.
See at Microsoft (opens in new tab)
Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the Editor in Chief for Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. Got a hot tip? Send it to daniel.thorp-lancaster@futurenet.com.
