When we install programs in Windows, these often offer us the possibility to run at the beginning of the operating system, when we turn on the computer. This allows that, from the first moment, the program is loaded in memory and we can use it faster. It can even be useful on some occasions since it allows us to have favorite programs, such as Spotify (for example) ready to use from the moment we turn on the PC. However, although browsers such as Google Chrome can be loaded into memory when Windows is started, it is not possible to open our favorite websites automatically when doing so. Until the arrival of the PWA.
Progressive web applications , PWA, are a new type of applications that, thanks to browser engines, allow us to convert a web page, like a social network, into a program that runs independently on the computer. These PWAs are, broadly speaking, direct accesses to favorite websites, but instead of opening in a browser window (such as in a tab), they do so within their own window, with their own installer and their own options.
PWAs are the equivalent of mobile apps that we can find from Twitter, Facebook or other platforms, but designed to work on Windows. In addition, thanks to its cache, many times they can be used without the need for an Internet connection.
Microsoft and Google are betting a lot on this type of applications. And one of the latest features that has just arrived is the ability to run them automatically when the PC boots.
Open a PWA web at Windows startup
Google wants users to be able to open the websites they want when starting the computer. And for this, it has added a new option in the window that appears when creating a new PWA that allows us to choose whether we want the PWA to open at the start of the operating system or not.
The only thing we have to do to make the PWA of this website run at Windows startup is check this box and that’s it. The PWA will be created on our computer, and it will also be configured so that, when Windows is started, it will open automatically.
Disable websites that open when Windows is started
PWAs are very light, fast, and consume very few resources. Thanks to them we can convert almost any website into an application. However, we have very little control over them. So little that, for now, we do not have a switch that allows us to activate or deactivate the function of opening at startup.
Therefore, if we do not want the app to continue opening when we turn on the computer, we can choose one of these two options. The first is to uninstall the PWA from our computer from the menu that we can find within it, in the top bar.
We can create the PWA again later, if we want to continue using it, unchecking the option to run at startup. We can also use the task manager, or a program that allows us to control the programs that run at Windows startup, to disable the startup of this PWA.
If we disable starting this PWA in this way, the progressive web application will still be installed on the computer, but it will not open automatically when you turn on the PC.
Activate experimental function
Although this feature will reach all users of Google Chrome, today it is only available for the Canary branch of development, and it has to be activated manually in order to use it. To do this, all we have to do is make sure we are using Chrome Canary 85 (or higher) and, from this browser, open the following link in the address bar:
chrome://flags/#enable-desktop-pwas-run-on-os-login
And we will mark this flag as “Enabled” and restart the browser.
When this feature is reopened it will already be enabled, and we can install PWAs in Windows 10 that automatically open when you turn on the computer.
If we still do not have Google Chrome Canary installed on the computer, we can download this version from the following link . Of course, we remember that it is a version in development, so it is not recommended to use it on a daily basis.
