AdguardTeam
PWA app management
Issue Details
Currently Adguard has the ability to be configured at an individual app level in the "App management" tab. For example, individual apps can be configured to not have their traffic routed through Adguard, etc. I'm not sure if it's technically feasible, but having this ability for PWAs installed on the device would be great as well.
Proposed solution
As above
Alternative solution
No response
@DavidMaza Do you see these PWAs in App management, and they are not filtered anyway, or you do not see them?
The PWAs don't appear in the App management tab in AdGuard.
However, they do appear in the list of installed applications in the Android system's settings area on my Samsung phone and in the Android Emulator, as long as the emulated device is signed in with a Google account.
I've attached a sample video below from the Android Emulator which shows how to install a PWA and how to see it in the list of installed apps in the Android system's settings area:
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f341c7d2-3733-430d-a394-6aa0d58c6935
A sample site that has a PWA on its home screen that can be installed is below: https://www.soundslice.com/
The PWAs have an interesting technology behind them on Android.
Below are some links I found which explains the technology behind them and how they're treated by the OS: https://web.dev/articles/webapks https://web.dev/learn/pwa/installation#webapks https://web.dev/articles/manifest-updates
Some quotes:
Installing a PWA on Android does more than just add the Progressive Web App to the user's Home Screen. Chrome automatically generates and installs a special APK of your app. We sometimes refer to this as a WebAPK. Being installed via an APK makes it possible for your app to show up in the app launcher, in Android's app settings and to register a set of intent filters.
A WebAPK is an Android package (APK) created by a trusted provider of the user's device, typically in the cloud, on a WebAPK minting server. This method is used by Google Chrome on devices with Google Mobile Services (GMS) installed, and by Samsung Internet browser, but only on Samsung-manufactured devices, such as a Galaxy phone or tablet. Together, this accounts for the majority of Android users.
When a user installs a PWA from Google Chrome and a WebAPK is used, the minting server "mints" (packages) and signs an APK for the PWA. That process takes time, but when the APK is ready, the browser installs that app silently on the user's device. Because trusted providers (Play Services or Samsung) signed the APK, the phone installs it without disabling security, as with any app coming from the store. There is no need for sideloading the app.
PWAs installed via WebAPK:
- Have an icon in the app launcher and home screen.
- Appear on Settings, Apps.
- Can have several capabilities, such as badging, app shortcuts, and capture links within the OS.
- Can update the icon and app's metadata.
- Can't be installed twice.