The progressive web app is a buzzword among developers. It is not a new technology. PWA is the best way to improve your online business revenue and increase conversion rates. You can build apps with engaging content to attract more visitors.
Progressive web apps are websites that deliver app-like features, such as offline functionality, push notifications, etc. Merchants can rip several benefits to expand and improve their business ROI. However, it has limited hardware capabilities.
🔥 Native apps can use all device hardware features, such as camera, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. But, can PWA access device features the same as native apps do?
Let us see which features PWA can access or not!
Table of Contents
Understanding PWA and Hardware Access
Hardware Access means permission to use device features. Mobile applications may ask for permission to access the camera and other features. In the same way, PWA relies on APIs to access hardware features.
But PWA cannot access them as it depends on web browsers. A PWA app can fully function like a native app if your browser supports all Web Application Programming Interfaces ( Web APIs ).
Today, I will share the list of features that PWA can now access, which were previously exclusive to native apps.
Top Hardware Features PWA can Access
-
Camera and Microphone
PWAs can access the camera and microphone of devices running Chrome browsers. Besides that, PWA can use advanced features, such as shape detection, speech recognition, and other camera controls. -
GPS
PWA can capture the location using Wi-Fi, GPS, or GSM. All web browsers support GPS features. Users can easily be located using PWA. It allows sending requests to the users to access their geolocation. -
Screen and Output
Progressive mobile web apps use WebXR Device API to access augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) features. You can use more screen features, such as Fullscreen, orientation, and presentation. -
Vibration
All modern web browsers support this feature and make it easier for developers to implement. You can use this command:var vibrate = navigator.vibrate || navigator.mozVibrate;
// 2-second vibration
Vibrate (2000);
// 2-second vibration next is a half-second pause, and then another 2-second vibration.
vibrate ([2000, 500, 2000]); -
Device Orientation and Motion
PWA can also capture the device orientation with the right implementation of API. It can manage the device’s motion in 3D. These two APIs control orientation and motion: DeviceOrientationEvent and DeviceMotionEvent.Other Advanced Features that Progressive Websites offers:
- Local Notifications and Push Messages
- Able to Schedule Tasks
- Can work on Offline mode
- Home Screen Installation
- Audio and Video Capture
- File Access
- Inter-App Sharing.
What PWA cannot still Access?
- System-Level:Web applications cannot make all changes at the system level, including system settings, logs, ambient light, etc.
- Low-level APIs:Not all APIs are improved enough to access devices. PWA cannot access hardware features without an API. For example, Web NFC API can work on Google Chrome. By using it, websites may face some cyber threats and raise privacy concerns.
- Contact-Level: PWA has the inability to deal with phone calls and SMS/MMS. It is not an issue for most developers, as a simple Web OTP API should be enough for most use cases.
The Bottom Line
PWA development costs you less than developing a native app. If you have a low budget and want a decent alternative to the mobile app, progressive web apps are the best choice. It can present you with almost all mobile-friendly and responsive features. Also, it offers cross-browser compatibility that reduces the burden of installing it.
If you want to create an app that integrates deeply with the user’s device, go for mobile apps. For developing apps, you should have enough budget and also business goals.
