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How to Turn Any Website Into an Android App (and Why You Should)
Imagine accessing your favorite web-only tools as native apps on your Android smartphone. Or better yet, having separate instances of the same app logged in from two or three different accounts. That is just scratching the surface of what is possible, and here is a complete guide to how it's done!
Why Turn Websites Into Apps?
There are millions of apps on the Google Play Store, yet there are still tons of tools and services that only exist as a websiteno native app support. Most people just live with it, but here's what life is like on the other side where you can turn any website into a native Android app.
Your Favorite Tools Are Just a Tap Away
For reference, let's consider two tools I often useMidjourney and Udio. Neither of them has a native Android app, only a website. So, when I want to access them, I need to open my browser first, tap the pinned site, or, worse, type in the URL and only then visit the website. However, if I turn them into native apps, they would be living on my home screen, just a tap away.
No More Dealing With the Browsers Interface
My biggest problem with using a web-based tool on my smartphone is that I have to deal with the browser interface taking up a quarter of the screen. Its not too bothersome if you are casually browsing the web. However, when trying to use a tool or service, losing that much screen real estate to an address bar and tab switcher really impacts the overall experience. Now, imagine removing the browser interface so all you see is the tool itself.
Not only does this look better, but it gives you more space to work with!
Use Multiple Instances of the Same App
I find this to be an absolute game-changer. For example, I have two separate instances of the Amazon website installed as a native app on my phone. I use one for personal shopping and the other one for business purchases.
Sure, you can switch user accounts using the native Amazon app, but what if you forget and accidentally make a purchase with the wrong account? Having separate apps for separate use cases removes that issue!
Another benefit is the huge opportunity for app categorization. Say you like to keep things organized using app folders and have multiple Facebook accounts for personal stuff and work. So, do you keep the Facebook app under the work folder or in time-wasters? Well, just create two instances of the app and move them into the appropriate folders. Simple!
How To Turn Websites Into Android Apps
Now that you have an idea of the benefits of turning regular websites into Android apps lets see how you can do this for yourself. First, install Hermit Lite Apps Browser developed by Chimbori. Its essentially a web browser that allows you to turn websites into native apps, which it calls Lite Apps.
Once installed, launch the app, grant all the necessary permissions, and just quickly take a moment to familiarize yourself with the apps interface. As you can see, it essentially looks like a browser. You have an address bar at the top, along with the setting icon. There is a list of all existing Lite Apps on the body, similar to pinned websites on a browser's homepage.
To create these Lite Apps, you have the + Create button in the bottom right corner. You will get two options use a Ready-Made Lite App or Create Your Own. Now, Hermit comes with nearly a hundred (maybe more) premade Lite Apps that you can try out.
To show you how everything works, lets create a Lite App for the How-To Geek website. To do this, we hit the Create Your Own option, enter the site URL, wait for the site to load, and then hit + Create a Lite App button. Give a name for your Lite App, check the box to add it to your home screen, and tap OK.
However, it still looks like a regular website loaded inside a browser! To change that, simply click on the gear icon on the address to open the quick settings panel. From here, enable Frameless and Full-screen. This will remove the address bar, giving you a sleek app-like appearance!
And there you have it the How-To Geek Lite App is ready to go!
Exploring Lite Apps Settings and Options
Each Lite App has its own settings panel, which you can customize to control how it looks and functions. You can access this by hitting the Gear Icon on the address bar, or if its in full screen mode, simply swipe left from the edge of the screen. From here, you have the following options:
- Find in page.
- Reader mode.
- User Scripts.
- Block Popups.
- Dark Mode.
- Desktop Mode.
- Text Size Adjuster.
If you press the Gear icon in the bottom right of the Quick Settings panel, youll head into the Lite App settings.
You can go to Theme to tweak how the app icon looks on your home screen. The Feeds option lets you set up RSS Feeds so you get a notification each time something new is published on the website. You can also enable Web Monitor to track a specific document or article and get a notification if and when its edited.
Then, you have the Global settings for Hermit. Here, I want you to focus on three specific , Privacy, and User Scripts.
In the free version, you only get one Sandbox. This means all your Lite Apps are isolated from other apps on your phone, but they are all in the same container and can potentially interact with another instance. Upgrading allows you to create multiple Sandboxes to contain your different apps. Under Privacy, you have the option to look through saved passwords, if any. You can also clear your browser cookies and cache from here. And finally, if you are a power user, you can take advantage of the User Scripts (JavaScript files). By default, you get five scripts, but you can add more, and the browser will automatically inject that into a website when you want to use the quick settings to manipulate the websites behavior.
Limitations and Considerations
The Lite Apps that you create wont function like native apps at the system level. For example, you can not use Androids Notification Manager to manage individual Lite Apps it only works with Hermit.
Also, the Lite apps will only appear on the Home Screen and not in the app drawers. That said, I tested it out with different launchers, and it works flawlessly.
In fact, I prefer using it with a custom launcher that supports custom icons. That way, I can change the App icon and remove the Hermit branding.
And there you have ita complete guide to transforming any website into a slick Android app! While these may not match every benefit of native apps, Lite Apps provide a practical middle ground for anyone looking to streamline their mobile browsing experience.