HTML5 Webapp as regular icon or app on iPhone and Andorid.

Question

Hi all,

Sorry if this is a noob question, I searched quite a bit and couldn't find an answer.

I'm developing a html5 app that relies on sqlite for local storage.

I'd like for it to appear as an app icon on the iPhone/Android screen, what's the best way to do this? Ie can I write some sort of "wrapper" app to achieve it?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I think you have to develop a "launcher" app that will just invoke the browser and send the user to your web application.

Answer 2

PhoneGap is an open source wrapper for local web apps that runs on several mobile platforms. There is no reason you could not use it with hosted web pages as well.

Apple would probably reject something they deemed equivalent to a web bookmark.

Answer 3

No need for PhoneGap or a launcher on the iPhone.

Per Apple:

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/custom_icon.png"/>

Documentation and more fun options you can add to your web app: http://developer.apple.com/safari/library/documentation/appleapplications/reference/safariwebcontent/configuringwebapplications/configuringwebapplications.html

Answer 4

I think in Android you would have to develop a wrapper application that shows a webview for your webapp.