Open installed PWA from external url

Question

Is there any method to open website (PWA) urls in the installed PWA in iOS- Safari?

Use case: I'm sending email links to login in my PWA, how can I make this url's open directly with the installed PWA instead of the browser?

Solution 1

If you are using Chrome in Android or any of the desktop OS, that would be the default behavior.

Check on "Android intent filter" in this link.

This feature is not supported in iOS yet for PWA apps(created using Safari- the only option for iOS as of June-2018).See "What PWAs can do on Android and not on iOS" section last point.

Solution 2

For iOS, there is actually a very unknown way which you can install a .mobileconfig profile which installs a web clip (or multiple web clips if you like).

This will run your website in fullscreen and is very similar to how iOS PWAs work. You can also link to it online or send it as an Email attachment for your users to install.

Just make sure you add this for the webpage to open fullscreen:

<key>FullScreen</key>
<true/>

You can read more about creating your own from scratch here:

https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/iPhoneOTAConfiguration/ConfigurationProfileExamples/ConfigurationProfileExamples.html

or if you have a Mac you can get the "Apple Configurator 2" App:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator-2/id1037126344

or you can take the easy route and use a generator here if you don't have a Mac:

https://webclip.glitch.me/

Comments

[Patriciu Nista]

I'm using iOS, opening it from the mail app.

[Anand]

I've updated your question and answer to reflect the same. Answer is no. Its not possible yet..though we can expect in future. Hope it helps. Accept the answer if it solves your question.

[gauguerilla]

i would also add: even in android it seems to open it within standalone mode AFTER the user has opened the PWA once from homescreen. At least that's what i ended up with after some testing around

[Adarsh Madrecha]

The link - ios.s0n1c.org/iPCM is not working anymore

[giani.sim]

Is it always impossible to open a PWA from a native app on iOS? Or did Apple introduced support for it in the latest versions of its mobile OS?

[Kees van Dieren]

No support to open PWA from url in iOS, as of today.