Make Web Apps Look More Native With The AppMode Bookmarklet
September 10, 2010
Despite usually being inferior to native apps, a lot of companies and services still use Web Apps. You know, those applications that are optimized for your iPhone, and sometimes can even work offline, but only in Mobile Safari. Google Voice is a good example. While we're hearing that Google Voice might become a native app soon, that's not the case with many other ones. To make the pill easier to swallow, some Web Apps allow you to save them to your home screen. They will then run almost like a native application in full screen and without the Safari buttons. However, not all web developers make the effort to make that happen.
Well, Developper Darren Kovalchik came up with a convenient little workaround that will allow you to turn any Web App or website into what will almost look like a native app, even if its maker didn't design it that way.
It consists of a simple bookmarklet, which you can drag to your bookmark bar. Then, when you sync your bookmarks to your iDevice, open the Web App you want to put in "AppMode," click on the bookmarklet, save the website to your home screen and you're all set. From now on, you can start it from your home screen and it will open like the Web App it should have always been.
Here is the bookmarklet to drag to your bookmark bar: Activate App Mode
This can be very convenient, especially since Safari tends to open links you hit in a Web App in the same window, making you leave Safari every time. There is much more to it, as you can install it directly from your iDevice and even personalize the launch screen if you'd like.
Make sure to check out Daren's how-to for all the details (here).
