Running webpages as standalone programs in Windows

gundog48@lemmy.world to Selfhosted@lemmy.world – 10 points –

Not sure if this is okay here, but I feel like you guys will understand and be able to help!

I've just realised how much I hate how everything is done via browser these days, it really slows me down and kills what semblance of organisation I have.

For example, I mostly use WhatsApp to chat with my gf, I don't reply too much because I don't like interrupting what I'm doing to type on my phone's crappy keyboard when I'm at a computer, and my ADHD makes switching between phone and PC really disruptive.

I can use WhatsApp we, but it's always logged out (need my phone again, though this won't fix it), but mostly, I just can't find the bloody thing among a bunch of tabs and windows. The same goes for tons of stuff I need to switch between a lot that are accessed via browser.

I just want the programs I'm using to be open, and appear in the task bar with their own icons so I can switch to them.

What I want are basically containers for a browser. So I hit the button for the 'program' which really just launches a browser that goes to the specific address, and ideally, can retain login information, and appears as a distinct item in the task bar, with it's own icon, and cannot simply be merged with my browser.

Give that loads of desktop software is just chromium in a container, I feel like this shouldn't be too much of a technical hurdle. Any ideas? I didn't realise that this was such a problem until I thought about it!

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In Edge (and maybe Chrome?), open the menu for any website, then go to Apps > Install this site as an app.

Boom, webpage as standalone program. They appear on your start menu and you can pin them to your taskbar. I do this with all my frequently used tools and it makes things much faster to arrange them all on a screen or get back to them.

Bonus tip: You can use Win+1, Win+2, Win+3, etc to instantly switch to that pinned app on your taskbar.

I didn't think for even a moment that it would be that simple, thank you so much!

This is life-changing. I can't believe this has been such an easy option!

Like OP, I couldn't really put my finger on why I found so much of this stuff frustrating, I think this will make a big difference for me.