Chrome 155 lets Googlebook users install any webpage as an app

Chrome 155 is rolling out on Googlebook with a practical change: users can now install any webpage as an app, even when the site does not provide an installable web-app manifest. ¹²

Install any webpage

Google says the new option arrives through the Chrome M155 update. On a Googlebook, open Chrome, choose Save and share, then select Install and create shortcut. The page opens as an app in its own window instead of remaining a browser tab shortcut. ¹

Installed web apps can also appear in the Googlebook app launcher, where they can be pinned to the taskbar or homescreen. Google says they share the user's Google Account login, cookies, site permissions and installed browser extensions with Chrome. ¹

The update also moves Chrome Settings into a separate tab, allowing users to keep a webpage visible while changing browser settings. Googlebook Community lists version 155.0.8059.79 or higher as the relevant release, with the update rolling out through Google Play over several days. ¹

What this changes

The update removes one of the awkward limits of Chrome on Googlebook. Previously, websites without the right web-app manifest could only be saved as browser-tab shortcuts. Users can now promote any page to a standalone app window, although the result will still depend on the website's own layout and support for app-like use.

Our opinion

This is a small but meaningful quality-of-life update. The ability to install any webpage will be most useful for services that work well in a browser but have never justified building a dedicated app. Sharing cookies, permissions and extensions should also make the transition less fiddly. It is not a replacement for a properly designed web app, but it makes Chrome on Googlebook less precious about how a site declares itself.