Progressive Web App (PWA)

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a web application that can be installed on your device — phone, tablet, or desktop — and behaves like a native app: home screen icon, full-screen mode, offline capabilities, and push notifications. It runs in your browser under the hood, but to the user it looks and feels like an app downloaded from the App Store. Gab is available as a PWA on mobile because Apple and Google removed the Gab app from their stores.

What it means

PWAs bypass app stores entirely. Because they're installed directly from a website rather than downloaded through Apple or Google's distribution channels, they don't require app store approval — and can't be removed by an app store decision. For platforms that have been deplatformed from app stores, PWAs are the technical solution that keeps them accessible on mobile devices.

The tradeoff: PWAs have slightly fewer capabilities than native apps on iOS (Apple limits what web apps can do to protect its App Store business model). Push notifications, camera access, and other features may be limited or unavailable depending on the iOS version. Android PWAs generally have broader capability support.

How it works on Gab

On iPhone, go to gab.com in Safari, tap the Share button, and select "Add to Home Screen." On Android, open gab.com in Chrome, tap the menu (three dots), and select "Add to Home screen" or "Install app." The Gab icon appears on your home screen and opens in full-screen mode like a native app.

Related terms

PWAs are the answer to app store censorship for Gab users on both iOS and Android. Sideloading is the native-app alternative on platforms that allow it. Both are responses to deplatforming from official app stores.