You can now install YouTube as an advanced web app (PWA) on Windows. What does this mean? PWAs are desktop snapshots to websites that run in their own separate app window. They do not take up much space and load faster than navigating to the website in Chrome or Edge. PWAs also get their own images on the taskbar and will not add to your swamp of browser tabs open.
(You can technically install YouTube as PWA on Android, too, but in our experience, it’s not as good as the standard YouTube app YouTube, so let’s focus on the desktop version).
YouTube used through the PWA desktop works the way it does in your browser. The usual desktop features are available, including picture viewing and Stats for Nerds. Any YouTube-related extensions you’ve installed for Chrome (or other Chromium browsers like Edge) should work as well. I have several YouTube browser add-ons, including Full screen with window and the Pocket Tube membership manager, and are all PWA compatible.
There are a few things the YouTube PWA can’t do, though.
For example, I’ve set shortlists for my membership page in every browser I use, so I can skip the home page and jump directly to the latest upload. It doesn’t appear that you can do that in the PWA, meaning it will always start from the home page if you open the app from your desktop or start it.
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You also cannot open multiple videos at once in PWA YouTube as you can in a browser. If you right-click on a link and open it, it will appear as a new browser tab instead of opening in the app. However, if you browse on Chrome, it allows you to open YouTube URLs in the PWA instead of as a new tab. Just right click on a YouTube or video link in your browser and then select “Open in YouTube.”
If you try to dig YouTube PWA and experience it, YouTube Music and YouTube TV can be applied as PWAs in the same way. Of course, most Google and Microsoft web services are included Google Drive and Microsoft Outlook, can be submitted as PWAs.
How to install YouTube as a PWA on Windows
Install with Chrome:
- Open YouTube.com
- Click on the “+” image in the URL bar
- Click “Add” Add when asked if you want to add YouTube to your desktop.
Install with Edge:
- Go to YouTube.com
- Click on the “+” button in the URL bar, then click “Install” when promised.
- Or: Click on the “…” button on the right side of the browser to open the Edge setting menu. Choose “Apps” then click “Install this site as an app.”
The installation should be close immediately. When done, you will see a YouTube icon on your desktop and the Windows Start menu. Click on the icon to open YouTube as a separate app on your desktop.
[Android Police]