PWA: the details
It relies on two browser features: a manifest, which describes the name, the icon and how it opens, and a service worker, a script that intercepts requests and can answer from a cache when there is no network. It doesn’t go through the app stores: it installs from the browser itself and updates like any website.
It fits when the tool is mostly screens and forms, has to reach many different devices and you don’t want to maintain two native apps. It falls short when you need deep hardware access, heavy background work or a presence in the stores. On iOS, installed PWAs have supported notifications since 2023, with more limits than a native app.