Make any website into an APP! --- FireFox PWA Addon

This works on Linux and Windows.

January 30, 2025 by

Andrew Valenzuela

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FireFox PWA Addon.

Any website can be a desktop application.

Self-Contained (eliminates cross site tracking, LOOKING at you FaceBook).
Highly customizable (multi-tab, sidebar, other options)
Better than Chrome PWA, IMO

Get the Addon

Download FireFox

The FireFox PWA Addon requires installing: FireFox, the PWA Addon & the FireFox PWA software on your PC (Supports Windows, Linux & Mac).

This is not a "how to install" guide. The FireFox PWA ppl already have great instructions.

This blog post will focus on "usage and tips" for getting the most out of FireFox PWAs.

The biggest hurdle I overcame when I moved to Linux Desktop... was finding replacements for Microsoft only apps (Quickbooks, Teams, Word, Microsoft Office).

I either switched applications completely (visit https://alternativeto.net to find ... alternative apps). Or used "Progressive Web Apps".

PWAs are a standardized way to turn websites into desktop applications. All mobile browsers on android have this feature builtin. But on desktop, only Chromium supports this functionality by default.

FireFox, being a lean FOSS machine (tight budget). Chose to forego this feature in its DESKTOP version (mobile FF supports PWA native).

When FireFox lacks a feature, the open source community integrates it with an Addon. Such is the case for PWAs

Use-Case and Example:

For this example I will be creating a PWA with the multi-tab option turned on in settings.

The website I will use is my SharePoint site.

The result is that I will have a contained application which will:

Let me surf my SharePoint sites.
Open any document in a new tab in the PWA.
Edit any office doc without having to install Office as a PWA.

Install FireFox and add the PWA Addon:

Download Firefox here: Download Firefox (the best browser)

Add the Addon here: PWA Addon

Follow the PWA install instructions. You will need to install the software they show in their setup guide. This Addon is fully open-sourced.

After you do this you'll have an extension with this symbol:

Go to your SharePoint site:

Remove any Odata filters and paramaters from your website url. (anything following a "?").

Example: https://yourMsTenantName.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/sharepoint.aspx?&login_hint=

Fixed: https://yourMsTenantName.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/sharepoint.aspx

Click on the PWA extension and add the site as a PWA:

A quick word about "Profiles".

A Profile is how you keep accounts and logins separate from each other. E.G. My family computer has two profiles in FF. One for my wife and one for me. So our logins and browsing history doesn't get mixed up.

You should always make a new Profile for any PWA. This will ensure that your data never gets contaminated. And eliminates the need to install an AdBlocker in the PWA.

Because the only sites you'll surf in the PWA is the site you have installed. In this case, it's just my Microsoft Tenant. So I have no reason to install an adblocker. And I don't want Microsoft to be able to see my regular browsing history and info from my main FireFox profile.