Designing a PWA with Bootstrap in 2023
What design principles should you follow for your PWA with Bootstrap? How can you add PWA features to your Bootstrap app without writing code? These are some of the questions I'll try to answer in this quickstart guide.
Getting started with Bootstrap & Progressier
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1Sign up for Progressier
Create a new PWA in Progressier, then choose JavaScript in the menu. Follow the instructions provided, which will walk you through the process of adding an app manifest andservice worker to your app (no code to write!).
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2Install your PWA
Progressier makes your Bootstrap app installable, automatically creates an install page for your app, and gives you access to PWA promotion widgets.
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3Send push notifications
You'll also get access to a complete push notification solution, which lets you define when and how to prompt users to allow notifications, and then notify them manually (from our dashboard) or programmatically (from our API).
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4Design your Bootstrap PWA
Check out our PWA design guidelines for Bootstrap below to make your app look and feel more native.
Which PWA features does Bootstrap support?
Android Installation
Get your PWA installed on any Android smartphone or tablet, just like a native app.
iOS Installation
Progressier walks users through the process of installing your app on their iPad or iPhone.
Windows Installation
Your Bootstrap PWA is installable from Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge and can be added to a Desktop or Taskbar.
macOS Installation
Get your app installed on macOS from Chrome — Progressier walks users through installing your PWA to their Docks.
Chrome OS Installation
Let users add your PWA to their Chrome OS laptop.
Install Page
An app-store like installation experience for your PWA — without the hassle of managing Google Play/App Store listings.
Original Domain Installation
Your app is directly installable right from your own domain
Web App Manifest
Progressier creates an app manifest with the name, logo, theme color and display preferences of your PWA.
Service Worker
A service worker is JS file that runs separately from the main browser thread. It can intercept network requests (allowing to put resources in the cache or retrieve them from there) and deliver push notifications to someone even when they're not actively using your app. With Progressier, you can define these rules without having to write any code at all.
Cache Static Resources
Progressier has a built-in caching strategy builder that lets you configure how each type of resources should be cached and refreshed. No code to write.
100% Offline-Ready
If you have full control over all the resources required for your website to work, you can make your site work 100% offline in Progressier without writing a single line of code.
Push Campaigns
Notify all your users of news in your app with our dashboard and/or API. Progressier manages all user push subscriptions for you.
Personalized Notifications
Send notifications to any particular user manually or programmatically. All your need is their email, their user ID or any other information that identifies them in your system.
Connect User Data
Connect your own user data (emails, account type, etc). So when a user authorizes push notifications in your Bootstrap PWA, their data is also saved along with it.
In-App PWA Promotion
Everything you need to encourage users to install your app on their devices.
Offline Alerts
Display an in-app alert when users go offline.
Push Prompt on Standalone
Automatically prompt users to authorize notifications after they've installed your PWA on their device.
Install & Push Analytics
Progressier tracks installs of your Bootstrap PWA over time. Also tracks push subscriptions.
Programmatic PWA Creation
Create Bootstrap PWAs programmatically with our API.
Google Play & App Store Upload
With our PWABuilder integration, you can list your Bootstrap PWA on Google Play or the App Store.
Why choose Bootstrap and Progressier for your PWA?
Progressier takes care of the heavy lifting when it comes to PWA features (e.g. installation, push notification, offline capabilities). In 5 minutes, you'll get all these features added to your existing app without having to write any code. Bootstrap simplifies the process of creating mobile-first responsive designs that make your app look and feel like a native app.
Should my app be mobile-first or desktop-first?
Obviously, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Some apps are meant to be used mostly on desktop, while others are almost exclusively used on mobile devices and tablets. Although, as a rule of thumb, since PWAs (or Universal Apps, as I like to call them) are meant to work cross-platform, you should strive to make them work perfectly on both desktop and mobile devices.
In a lot of cases, that means going beyond the Desktop First or Mobile First paradigms — it’s not just about changing the size of elements on the page. Because of the smaller screen real estate and touch capabilities, mobile UIs tend to display only one interactive element at a time. On the other hand, desktop UIs usually have many of them shown on screen at the same time. Here are a few examples of that:
A desktop dropdown menu becomes a mobile bottom drawer
Desktop accordion items become a full screen component on mobile
Desktop side panel becomes a search bar on mobile
Should I design my PWA with Bootstrap or Tailwind?
Both Bootstrap and Tailwind are fine choices of frameworks for building the components of your Progressive Web App. Tailwind is lighter than Bootstrap, which results in faster load times. Tailwind is much younger than Bootstrap, so it is perhaps not as robust yet. Tailwind is designed to create flexible and functional UI components, whereas Bootstrap aims to make it easy to develop appwide components. Tailwind is an overall better tool for creating apps, whereas Bootstrap might be a better choice for websites.
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