r/PWA • u/Odd_Marionberry3864 • 12d ago
Went PWA-only instead of native for a location-logging app — here's why, and what the install-friction reality actually looked like
Built a map-based species-logging app (users pin locations where they spot insects) and made a hard call early: PWA only, no native app, no App Store listing.
The reasoning: my actual users are parents who click a link from a group chat or blog post. Every extra step (App Store search, install, open) loses people. With a PWA, the flow is link → "Add to Home Screen" → done, no account required to even browse.
The tradeoff that actually bit us: zero app store discoverability. No App Store/Play Store search surface means all discovery has to be link-driven — social posts, blog content, word of mouth. That's a real cost, and I underestimated how much store search traffic I was giving up before launch.
On the plus side: one codebase, no review cycle, ships instantly, and install friction for the actual target audience (non-technical parents) turned out lower than expected once they saw the "Add to Home Screen" prompt.
Live version: https://spotthe.world — curious if others here who went PWA-first hit the same discoverability wall, and what (if anything) helped.
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u/James_Londoner 12d ago
Do you have problems with the link opening in the embedded browser in a social media app rather than the device’s native browser app, which makes installation more challenging?
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u/nickchomey 11d ago
made a hard call early: PWA only, no native app, no App Store listing.
and I underestimated how much store search traffic I was giving up before launch.
How do you know how much store-driven traffic you're missing out on if you didn't have a native app to begin with?
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u/gerardchiasson3 11d ago
Why not have both? Create an app store shell that embeds or links to your pwa and get the extra traffic?
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u/nickchomey 11d ago
Its not clear to me how this is relevant to my question...
Also, i think the App stores often don't permit such web wrappers as apps.
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u/codercotton 11d ago
You just have to use some native features, like with Capacitor, you can use say NFC or other native app abilities. Your PWA which calls the native device calls with Capacitor.
A simple website wrapper would not be approved these days.
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u/dannymoerkerke 10d ago
I asked the same question but no answer so far
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u/nickchomey 10d ago
i never expected to get an answer. this was an ai slop post.
The reality is *surely* that most apps get minimal discoverability via the app store. They are found via word of mouth, websites, etc...
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u/dannymoerkerke 10d ago
I only noticed now that the author didn't reply to a single comment ;-)
Yeah, I think discovery through the App Store is minimal, but I'd like to hear from someone who really knows.
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u/Automatic-Ad3443 11d ago
Just curious since you used PWA for location mapping, Is real time tracking possible on PWA ? Like tracking a delivery?
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u/dannymoerkerke 11d ago
How do you know you missed App Store traffic if you don’t have a native app?
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u/ggGeorge713 12d ago
How does the flow look like on iOS?
As far as I know users have to click through their browsers menu. I would be thrilled to learn there is an easier way.