Description
This plugin adds a web app manifest, a service worker, and install prompts to your WordPress site. Visitors on Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, or Samsung Internet can install your site to their phone home screen or desktop dock in one click. On iPhone they can add it from Safari’s Share menu.
Everything is set up from one admin screen under Mobile App. Upload two icons, pick your colors, and save.
What the plugin does
- Serves a valid web app manifest at
/?pwa_manifest=1. - Registers a service worker at
/?pwa_sw=1that caches an offline fallback page. - Creates an “Offline” page on activation. You can edit it or pick a different page later.
- Shows an install banner on Android Chrome and Edge.
- Shows a small “Install App” button at the top of Chrome, Edge, and Brave on desktop.
- Shows an optional persistent “Install App” button (bottom-left on desktop, bottom bar on mobile).
- Shows a short tip on iOS explaining how to add to the home screen.
- Adds a live preview so you can see your icon on a phone home screen and desktop dock before saving.
- Shows a status pill in the header: “PWA Active” when everything is set up, “Setup needed” when something is missing.
- Warns you if your site is on HTTP, because browsers will not install a PWA from a non-HTTPS site.
The settings screen
The admin page has four tabs: Identity, Icons, Appearance, and Behavior.
Identity
- App Name. Up to 45 characters. Shown on splash screens and install prompts. Has a live character counter.
- Short Name. Up to 12 characters. Shown under the icon on the home screen. Has a live character counter.
Icons
- Icon 192×192. PNG only. The plugin checks the format and dimensions on upload and rejects anything else.
- Icon 512×512. PNG only. Same check.
- Maskable icon toggle. Turn on if your icon has padding around the logo so Android can crop it into circles or squircles without cutting off the artwork.
- Live preview of your icon on a phone home screen and a desktop dock.
Appearance
- Theme Color. Tints the browser toolbar and the installed app title bar. Uses the native WordPress color picker.
- Background Color. Shown on the splash screen while the app loads. Uses the native WordPress color picker.
- Display Mode. Standalone, Fullscreen, Minimal UI, or Browser.
Behavior
- Start URL. The page that opens when the user taps the app icon. Default is
/. - Offline Page. Pick any published page, or use the auto-generated “Offline” page.
- Install prompt on mobile. Bottom banner on Android Chrome and Edge.
- Install prompt on desktop. Small button at the top of Chrome, Edge, and Brave.
- Force Install App button. A persistent button that stays until the user installs the app. Hides itself once the app is running in standalone, fullscreen, or minimal-ui mode.
Privacy
The plugin does not send any data anywhere. No analytics, no external requests, no cookies, no tracking. Everything runs on your server.
Requirements
- WordPress 6.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
- HTTPS (browsers refuse to install PWAs from HTTP sites)
- Any theme
Screenshots
Installation
- Install and activate the plugin.
- Open Mobile App in the admin menu.
- Fill in the App Name and Short Name on the Identity tab.
- Upload a 192×192 and a 512×512 PNG icon on the Icons tab.
- Pick your theme and background colors on the Appearance tab.
- Adjust the install prompts on the Behavior tab.
- Click Save Settings.
To confirm it is working, open your site in Chrome and look for the install icon in the address bar.
FAQ
-
Do I need HTTPS?
-
Yes. Browsers only install PWAs from HTTPS sites. If your site is on HTTP, the plugin shows a red warning at the top.
-
I clicked Install App but nothing happened.
-
Check the status pill at the top of the plugin page. If it says “Setup needed”, hover over it to see what is missing. Usually it is HTTPS, a missing icon, or the service worker did not register yet.
-
Will this break my theme?
-
No. The plugin only adds a few tags in the page head and optional buttons in the footer. Your theme is not modified.
-
Do I need Node.js or build tools?
-
No. Everything runs in PHP.
-
Can I put this on the App Store or Play Store?
-
Not directly. Use pwabuilder.com to wrap the manifest into an Android package for Play. Apple does not accept plain PWAs.
-
What about iPhone and iPad?
-
iOS does not show automatic install prompts. Users install by tapping Share and then “Add to Home Screen”. If the Force Install button is on, tapping it shows those steps.
-
Will visitors see the install prompt every visit?
-
No. Once a visitor closes it, the banner stays hidden for that browser session. Once installed, it never shows again. The Force Install button is different: it stays on every page until the user installs the app.
-
Which browsers can install PWAs?
-
- Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Samsung Internet: full one-click install.
- iOS Safari: manual install from the Share menu.
- Firefox on Android: install from the browser menu.
- Firefox on desktop and Safari on macOS: no install support. The plugin hides its buttons on these.
-
Does the installed app auto-update when I update my site?
-
Yes. The app loads live content from your site every time it opens. Just update your site the normal way.
-
Can I change the offline page?
-
Yes. The plugin creates a page called “Offline” on activation. Edit it like any page, or pick a different page from the dropdown in the Behavior tab.
-
Will it slow my site down?
-
No. It adds less than 1 KB to the page head. The service worker only caches the offline page.
-
Does it conflict with other PWA plugins?
-
Yes. Only one PWA manifest and service worker can be active at a time. Deactivate other PWA plugins first.
-
Does it work with WooCommerce, Elementor, LearnDash, page builders?
-
Yes. The plugin only adds PWA metadata. It does not touch page rendering.
-
How do I check if it is working?
-
Open your site in Chrome, press F12, open the Application tab. Under Manifest you should see your app details. Under Service Workers you should see one registered. If both look good, the install icon appears in the address bar.
-
How do I remove it?
-
Deactivate the plugin to stop serving the manifest and service worker. Delete the plugin to remove all settings and the auto-generated offline page.
-
Is it free?
-
Yes. Free and open source under GPL v2 or later.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“IndesignMedia Website to App Converter” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “IndesignMedia Website to App Converter” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- First public release.
- Web app manifest at
/?pwa_manifest=1. - Service worker at
/?pwa_sw=1with offline fallback. - “Offline” page created automatically on activation.
- Icon upload with PNG and exact-dimension validation (192×192 and 512×512).
- Optional maskable icon flag.
- Live icon preview on a phone home screen and desktop dock.
- Theme color and background color pickers using the WordPress native color picker.
- Display mode selector: Standalone, Fullscreen, Minimal UI, or Browser.
- Start URL and offline page selector.
- Install banner on Android Chrome and Edge.
- Install button in Chrome, Edge, and Brave on desktop.
- Optional Force Install App button (bottom-left desktop, bottom bar mobile), auto-hidden once the app is installed and running in standalone, fullscreen, or minimal-ui mode.
- iOS “Add to Home Screen” tip.
- Setup status pill in the header (Active or Setup needed).
- HTTPS warning banner on non-secure sites.
- Full uninstall cleanup: removes settings and the auto-generated offline page.