What’s a PWA? Why ToPDF can install like an app

You may have noticed websites offering to “install”. That's the PWA idea — Progressive Web App: a site that, having earned the capabilities, behaves like an app while remaining just a URL underneath.

The ingredients

• A manifest: name, icon, colours — what the home screen shows.
• A service worker: a small script that caches the app's files so it opens (and works) offline.
• HTTPS: the security baseline that unlocks the above.

With those, the browser offers installation: icon in the drawer/dock, standalone window, offline start — no store, no package, no new privacy surface.

Why the model fits a scanner perfectly

Scanning is an occasional, bursty task on whatever device is near — exactly the pattern PWAs serve: zero-commitment on first use (just a link), upgradeable to one-tap access if you scan often, offline where paperwork happens. And because updates ship like web pages, everyone runs the latest version automatically. (ToPDF offline.)

PWA vs native app, honestly

Native apps still win deep hardware hooks (background services, richest camera control). PWAs win footprint, universality and trust posture — nothing installs beyond a cache, permissions stay web-grade, removal is instant. For document scanning, the trade lands firmly on the PWA side; the full comparison goes deeper.

Frequently asked questions

Does an installed PWA track more than the website?

No — it is the website, with an icon. Same sandbox, same (in ToPDF’s case: zero) data collection.

Why doesn’t ToPDF nag me to install?

Install prompts interrupt the task you came for. The option lives in your browser’s menu when you want it — the tool works identically either way.