Turn Your Favorite Website Into Desktop Apps With Google Chrome

In today’s digital world, we spend a significant portion of our time navigating the internet. Often, we find ourselves frequently visiting specific websites for work, entertainment, or staying connected. Instead of relying on a browser tab each time, wouldn’t it be more convenient to have these websites accessible directly from your desktop, like native applications? Well, Google Chrome offers a fantastic, often overlooked feature that allows you to do just that! You can transform your favorite websites into standalone desktop apps, streamlining your workflow and providing a cleaner, more focused experience.

This article will guide you through the process of creating desktop apps from websites using Google Chrome. We’ll cover the benefits, step-by-step instructions, tips for customization, and how to manage these newly created apps. By the end, you’ll be able to access your preferred web tools and content with a single click, boosting your productivity and simplifying your digital life.

Why Create Desktop Apps from Websites?

Before diving into the ‘how,’ let’s explore the ‘why.’ Creating desktop apps from websites using Chrome provides several advantages:

• Improved Focus and Productivity: When a website functions as a standalone app, it eliminates the distractions of other open browser tabs. You’re dedicated to the content or tool you need, increasing your focus and productivity. Imagine having your project management tool or music streaming service as a separate window, free from the clutter of your everyday browsing.
• Quick Access: Instead of navigating through bookmarks or typing URLs, you can launch your frequently used websites directly from your desktop with a single click, just like any other application on your computer.
• Clean and Minimal Interface: These apps often present a cleaner interface compared to having the website open within a browser. The address bar, toolbars, and other browser elements are typically removed, giving you a more app-like experience focused solely on the website’s content.
• App-Like Behavior: Desktop apps created with Chrome behave like regular applications. You can pin them to your taskbar or dock, and switch between them using the usual keyboard shortcuts for application switching (Alt + Tab or Command + Tab).
• Offline Caching: Some websites, especially those designed as web applications, support offline functionality. Chrome’s app creation process may preserve this feature, enabling you to access cached content even when you’re not connected to the internet (depending on the website’s capabilities).
• Customization: While limited, you have some degree of control over how these apps appear, including their names, icons (on some operating systems), and placement on your system.
• No Third-Party Software Required: The beauty of this method is that it’s built directly into Google Chrome, requiring no additional software or extensions.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Desktop Apps with Google Chrome

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to transform your favorite websites into desktop applications using Google Chrome:

Step 1: Open Google Chrome and Navigate to Your Desired Website

The first step is incredibly simple. Launch your Google Chrome browser and go to the website you want to turn into a desktop app. For example, let’s say you want to create an app for your email service, like Gmail or Outlook. Navigate to the login page of your email provider.

Step 2: Access Chrome’s More Options Menu

In the upper-right corner of your Chrome browser window, you’ll see three vertical dots (⋮). This is the “More Options” menu button. Click on it to reveal a drop-down list of options.

Step 3: Navigate to ‘More Tools’

Within the “More Options” menu, hover your mouse over “More tools”. A secondary menu will then appear to the side of the first one.

Step 4: Select ‘Create Shortcut’

From the “More tools” secondary menu, select the “Create shortcut…” option. This will open a small dialog box.

Step 5: Name Your App and Customize Options

The “Create shortcut” dialog box presents a couple of simple options. Here’s what they do:

• Name: The first field is an editable text box where you can give your new app a name. This name will be used to identify the app on your operating system. By default, it might be the website’s domain name or a very short version of the page title. It’s highly recommended that you change this to something more descriptive, like “Project Management App,” “Favorite Podcast Player,” “Personal Blog,” or whatever makes sense for that particular site.
• Open as window: Below the name field, you will find a checkbox option labeled “Open as window”. When left unchecked, the website will be opened in the active tab of the open Chrome window, and no desktop application will be created. When the box is checked, the website will be launched inside a standalone window separate from the main Chrome window when the app shortcut is used. This is the key setting to create a true desktop app. Make sure this box is checked to get the desired effect.

Step 6: Click ‘Create’

Once you’ve set the name and ensured the “Open as window” box is checked, click the “Create” button. Google Chrome will now create your desktop application.

Step 7: Locate and Launch Your New Desktop App

The location of the shortcut icon will vary slightly depending on your operating system.

• Windows: On Windows, Chrome will place the shortcut in your start menu, within a folder called “Chrome Apps.” You’ll also be able to search for it using the Windows search bar by the name that you chose. You will often find that the icon will also appear on the desktop, depending on the system settings and if you use that feature. You can also right-click the app after launching it and pin it to your taskbar for easy access.
• macOS: On macOS, the app shortcut will be placed in your Applications folder (usually /Applications) where it will be available through Launchpad, Spotlight search or the finder app. You can drag it to your dock to add it there for easy access.
• Linux: On Linux systems, the app will appear in your application menu or launcher. You may also find the shortcut in a folder specifically designated for shortcuts or applications, depending on your distribution and desktop environment.

To launch the app, simply find its icon in the relevant location and click on it. You’ll notice that the website opens in a new, independent window, separate from any other browser windows you have open. This app window will have a very minimal interface, showing only the website and no browser elements like tabs, menus, or address bar.

Customization Tips for Your Desktop Apps

While the customization options are not as advanced as native apps, you can still do a few things to personalize your web apps:

• Icon Management (Limited): On some operating systems (like Windows), you may be able to change the application’s icon. Right-click the shortcut and select “Properties”, then in “Shortcut” tab, click “Change icon…” and browse to the location of a different .ico file. This isn’t natively provided by Google Chrome, but an operating system feature.
• Naming Convention: Ensure that you choose descriptive names for your apps. This will be especially important if you create several apps, as it will help you quickly identify what each one does.
• Pinning to Taskbar/Dock: Pin frequently used apps to your taskbar (Windows) or dock (macOS) for even faster access. This makes your web apps behave more like native applications by providing quick visual access.
• Placement on Your Desktop: Create dedicated folders on your desktop to organize your apps. For example, you could have a folder called “Productivity Apps”, “Entertainment Apps,” or “Social Media Apps” to group them logically.

Managing Your Created Desktop Apps

Managing your desktop apps created with Google Chrome is fairly straightforward. Here’s how:

• Uninstalling Apps: To remove a desktop app, simply uninstall it the same way you would uninstall any other application on your operating system. For Windows users, this can be done through the “Add or Remove Programs” section in settings. On macOS, drag the app from your applications folder to the trash. On Linux distributions, the procedure may vary depending on the distribution and desktop environment, but can typically be found in the system’s applications manager.
• Updating Apps: Apps created with this method use the website’s live content. Thus, whenever you open the app, you’ll always see the most up-to-date version of the website, without needing to manually update the app itself. The only exception here will be any major changes to the way Google Chrome manages PWA or shortcuts. These updates are managed by Google Chrome, and will happen automatically with a software update.
• Troubleshooting: If an app isn’t working correctly, try restarting Chrome or clearing its cache. If the issue persists, double check the url of the original shortcut. You may need to delete it and recreate it.

Limitations to Consider

While this method is extremely useful, it’s also important to note its limitations:

• Not True Native Apps: These are still technically web applications, not full-fledged native apps. They rely on Google Chrome’s rendering engine. Some advanced native application features, like direct system integrations or complex file access, won’t be available.
• Limited Customization: Customization of these apps is very basic. You can change the app’s name and icon on some operating systems, but you can’t alter its behavior significantly beyond the website itself.
• Dependent on the Website: The quality and behavior of your app are entirely dependent on the quality and behavior of the underlying website. If the website is buggy or poorly optimized, your created app will also reflect these shortcomings.
• Chrome Dependency: As these apps are tied to Google Chrome, the app will be affected if Chrome has errors or problems. If you remove Chrome, your apps will not function.

Real-World Examples and Use Cases

The ability to create desktop apps from websites opens up many possibilities. Here are a few real-world examples of how this can improve your workflow:

• Project Management Tools: Turn platforms like Trello, Asana, or Monday.com into dedicated apps, allowing you to focus on project tasks without distractions.
• Email Clients: Make Gmail, Outlook, or your preferred email provider into a standalone app for easy access to your inbox, calendar, and contacts.
• Social Media Platforms: Create separate apps for Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to streamline your social media activity.
• Music Streaming Services: Turn Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube Music into desktop apps for uninterrupted listening without browser window clutter.
• Communication Platforms: Convert messaging apps like Slack, Discord, or WhatsApp into standalone apps for easier communication with your teams.
• Note-Taking Apps: Convert Google Keep, Evernote, or other note-taking apps into standalone experiences.
• Online Learning Platforms: Turn platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or edX into apps, so it’s easier to learn new skills
• Custom Web Apps: If you use any custom web application built for your company or projects, turn them into their own desktop application.

Conclusion

Creating desktop apps from websites with Google Chrome is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your online experience. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can transform your most frequently used websites into convenient desktop applications, boosting your productivity, simplifying access, and improving your focus. Despite the limitations of this feature, it’s a great way to get some extra utility out of your existing tools. So, go ahead and give it a try! Transform your favorite websites into apps and discover how much more efficient and streamlined your online workflow can become.

This feature is especially valuable if you’re trying to maximize your productivity without having to install too many applications, or if the only way you use a particular piece of software is through their website. With the ease of use, simplicity, and convenience this feature offers, creating desktop apps from websites with Google Chrome is a must-try for anyone wanting to get the most from the web.