# Installing TPF as a Progressive Web App **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [March 27, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470 "2026-03-27T01:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wayfarer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/wayfarer/32/123_2.png) [@Wayfarer](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Wayfarer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/1 "2026-03-27T01:03:18Z")
Another really cool Discourse feature: Discourse provides a **Progressive Web App**. That means the Forum can be opened in a window independently of the browser, with its own menu system and icon on desktop Windows or Mac (pictured): ![Interface](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/uploads/thephilosophyforum/original/1X/5534f5f3863575c3822be938547d73ee64b734a9.png) To install: Go to [thephilosophyforum.com](http://thephilosophyforum.com) in a browser. A small icon appears at the far right of the address bar (where the URL is). - It usually looks like a **computer screen with a down arrow** or **three squares and a plus sign**. - If you hover over it, it says **“Install [App Name].”** - Once you click it, a pop-up asks if you want to install the app. Click to proceed. After installation you can pin the [thephilosophyform.com](http://thephilosophyform.com) icon to the Dock (Mac) or Taskbar (Windows.) ![Dock](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/uploads/thephilosophyforum/original/1X/39776a928693c3f975bf8408f01921512eb10b23.png) You can also save thephilosophyforum to the desktop of your iOS devices: ![Interface (1)](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/uploads/thephilosophyforum/original/1X/e1256066eada3d5ac4b3384c96f8f395e119c166.jpeg) - To add it to iPhone or iPad, the site needs to be opened in Safari Browser (just for that session). Then select **“Add to Home Screen”**. - On Android, **you c** an do the same thing by tapping the **three dots** in Chrome and selecting **“Install app”** or **“Add to home screen.”** - Once it’s saved as a PWA, it gets its own entry in the **App Switcher** (Cmd+Tab on Mac or the swipe-up gesture on iOS). - **Notifications**. You’ll see the characteristic “red badge” on the app icon or receive banners for new replies, just like a native app. (Note: On iPhone/iPad, ensure you are on iOS 16.4+ and select ‘Allow’ when prompted). ---
**Author:** ![Banno](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/banno/32/55_2.png) [@Banno](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Banno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 2:30am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/2 "2026-03-27T02:30:05Z")
Thanks for that. On my Mac the icon was absent, but _File_ → _add to dock_ installed the stand alone app neatly. Checking it out. ---
**Author:** ![AmadeusD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@AmadeusD](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/AmadeusD)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 4:56am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/3 "2026-03-27T04:56:47Z")
I think it’s just an alias to access the webpage, similar situations with many sites ---
**Author:** ![Banno](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/banno/32/55_2.png) [@Banno](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Banno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/4 "2026-03-27T05:11:53Z")
No, it’s a seperate app. ---
**Author:** ![AmadeusD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@AmadeusD](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/AmadeusD)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:13am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/5 "2026-03-27T05:13:14Z")
I truly do not think so. I have it and it operates through chrome ![IMG_3142](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/uploads/thephilosophyforum/original/1X/0761be6dc36f8bf6a6069f59c4e8c8a53bf3601f.jpeg) Quite common. ---
**Author:** ![Jamal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jamal/32/95_2.png) [@Jamal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jamal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:15am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/6 "2026-03-27T05:15:07Z")
@AmadeusD’s point is that a PWA is installed as just an instance of your browser, stripped down and separated off so it feels like an app—but in the end it’s basically just the browser. EDIT: There is no native Discourse app for phones and tablets, i.e., an app written with platform-specific code for iOS or Android and available in the app store. ---
**Author:** ![Banno](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/banno/32/55_2.png) [@Banno](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Banno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:21am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/7 "2026-03-27T05:21:16Z")
Ok. That’s not what he said. Thanks for being clear. It functions as a seperate app to Safari, which is what is salient to our previous discussion. It’s not just an alias. ---
**Author:** ![AmadeusD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@AmadeusD](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/AmadeusD)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:25am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/8 "2026-03-27T05:25:08Z")
Yes, that’s right. An alias is a shortcut. The “app” is shortcut. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![Banno](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/banno/32/55_2.png) [@Banno](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Banno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:27am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/9 "2026-03-27T05:27:32Z")
Fucksake. No, it runs quite separately to Safari. It is not a shortcut to safari. ---
**Author:** ![Jamal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jamal/32/95_2.png) [@Jamal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jamal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:27am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/10 "2026-03-27T05:27:42Z")
Yeah, to be fair, a PWA is not the same as an alias or shortcut. A PWA is a bit more than that. ---
**Author:** ![AmadeusD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@AmadeusD](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/AmadeusD)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:28am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/11 "2026-03-27T05:28:29Z")
“Fucksaake” indeed mate lol. It literally functions as an alias in Mac terms. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Jamal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jamal/32/95_2.png) [@Jamal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jamal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:29am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/12 "2026-03-27T05:29:01Z")
It runs on the Safari browser software, just not via your full Safari browser interface or in the same process. ---
**Author:** ![Banno](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/banno/32/55_2.png) [@Banno](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Banno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:33am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/13 "2026-03-27T05:33:22Z")
Yep. So it can be open independently of Safari. I kinda know, on account of I’m using it that way right now. Safari is not open. It might well be parasitic on Safari, but it is not a shortcut to or within Safari. ---
**Author:** ![Jamal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jamal/32/95_2.png) [@Jamal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jamal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 5:35am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/14 "2026-03-27T05:35:25Z")
Actually, it depends how you define “Safari”. But I’m not up for software ontology right now, so I’ll bow out. 🙇 ---
**Author:** ![Wayfarer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/wayfarer/32/123_2.png) [@Wayfarer](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Wayfarer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 7:26am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/15 "2026-03-27T07:26:56Z")
definitely works as a standalone app on my devices. Helps not being yet another browser tab open. ---
**Author:** ![Banno](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/banno/32/55_2.png) [@Banno](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Banno)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 8:52am UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/16 "2026-03-27T08:52:11Z")
Thanks for sharing this. Keep the new ideas coming! ---
**Author:** ![Javi](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/javi/32/1673_2.png) [@Javi](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Javi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/17 "2026-03-27T15:49:26Z")
Very useful, thanks! I just added the browser to the Dock. I didn’t need to install the app. [![](https://i.postimg.cc/HnLysDFY/Captura-de-pantalla-2026-03-27-a-las-16-45-02.png)](https://postimages.org/) [![](https://i.postimg.cc/Hnjr108K/Captura-de-pantalla-2026-03-27-a-las-16-45-25.png)](https://postimages.org/) > [@Jamal](#): > > but in the end it’s basically just the browser. Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Jamal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jamal/32/95_2.png) [@Jamal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jamal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/18 "2026-03-27T16:05:45Z")
19 degrees! Not bad. ---
**Author:** ![Jackal](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex007/user_avatar/www.thephilosophyforum.com/jackal/32/346_2.png) [@Jackal](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Jackal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/19 "2026-03-27T16:08:50Z")
For those of a meticulous (if not overbearing and insufferable) nature (and aren’t all philosophers worth their salt cast as such by the world around them): > **[What is a Progressive Web App?](https://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/5wjk9m/what_is_a_progressive_web_app/)** > > Based on what I read, it seems like it just a variant of hybrid apps. Is this correct? It differs from a pure web shortcut in that it offers notifications consistently visible straight from every single base and rudimentary view (the icon, wherever your device may display it). This is basically, speaking as a programmer, the only true utility aside from simple convenience. But it is highly useful for those who desire such. Your dedication to not only TPF but pursuit of wisdom, and perhaps enlightenment and elevation of all mankind is to be revered, @Wayfarer. ---
**Author:** ![Michael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Michael](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/u/Michael)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2026, 4:30pm UTC](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470/20 "2026-03-27T16:30:38Z")
They can also work offline, depending on what the website offers. [Next page](https://www.thephilosophyforum.com/t/installing-tpf-as-a-progressive-web-app/470.md?page=2)