Service
Progressive Web Apps
Installable apps that keep working on one bar of signal — or none.
A Progressive Web App is a website that behaves like an app. Visitors can install it to their home screen, open it full-screen, and keep using it even in a complete dead zone.
The core promise
It works when the network doesn’t. Data is saved to the device first, and a background sync mechanism pushes it to the server the moment a connection comes back. Nobody loses an order, a note, or a queue position because the signal dropped.
How it works
- Service worker — pre-loads the app shell and content into a local cache, so the app opens instantly and offline
- IndexedDB — a full structured database in the browser, holding records saved while offline
- Background sync — queued work (saved forms, uploaded photos) goes out automatically when connectivity returns
- Installable — a tap on “Add to Home Screen”, no app store approval, and updates flow to everyone at once
Where it fits
- Field work — inspections, deliveries, surveys, visits where coverage is patchy
- Clinics & shops — staff move around the building; devices lose Wi-Fi; work shouldn’t stop
- News & reference content — offline reading on slow commutes
- Garment / retail teams using phones as the main device
Why it beats a native app for most jobs
Native apps make sense sometimes. But for a single organization serving its own people, a PWA costs a fraction, reaches every phone instantly, needs no store listing, and can be updated in seconds. It is a real progressive web app though — installable, offline-capable, and built for a phone-first country.
Timeline: 3–6 weeks for most PWAs.
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