Stop Turning the Mobile Web Into a Second-Class Platform
The article argues that the shift from the mobile web to native apps is undermining the openness and functionality of the web platform. Many mobile apps are essentially web content wrapped in native shells, yet they lack the flexibility and interoperability of browsers. The author warns that prioritizing apps over the mobile web risks creating fragmented, closed ecosystems that harm users and developers alike.
- ▪Many modern mobile apps are essentially web content embedded in native containers like WebViews or React Native shells.
- ▪Browsers offer superior UX features such as tab management, deep linking, bookmarking, and extensions, which are often missing or poorly implemented in apps.
- ▪Aggressive 'app-first' strategies lead to degraded mobile web experiences, including limited functionality and constant prompts to switch to apps.
- ▪Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) were designed to bridge the gap between web and app experiences with features like offline support and push notifications.
- ▪The decline of the mobile web undermines the openness, portability, and interoperability that have historically made the web a powerful platform.
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try { if(localStorage) { let currentUser = localStorage.getItem('current_user'); if (currentUser) { currentUser = JSON.parse(currentUser); if (currentUser.id === 911056) { document.getElementById('article-show-container').classList.add('current-user-is-article-author'); } } } } catch (e) { console.error(e); } Alexander Nenashev Posted on May 16 Stop Turning the Mobile Web Into a Second-Class Platform #webdev #pwa #mobile #frontend There is a long-term trend in the software industry that I think developers should pay more attention to: We are slowly replacing the open mobile web with isolated app containers. And I think this is a mistake. Not because native applications are inherently bad.
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