Introducing Appscope, a top notch PWA 'app store'

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Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are a way to extend Windows 10 Mobile (and other platforms) by running in the web browser. Edge, in the case of W10M. They can be packaged (i.e. in the native device Store) or, more usually, simply accessed via URL, e.g. from a browser favourite or pinned Start tile. But for the latter, how do you find out about new PWAs? Enter Appscope, a new and super-polished PWA discovery 'store'.

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The URL to get to Appscope itself (and favourite/pin it thereafter) is the short and memorable appsco.pe. Above is Appscope in a desktop browser, but it works equally well on the phone, here under Windows 10 Mobile:

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The interface on the phone - it works brilliantly, as indeed something dedicated to PWAs should be - heck Appscope itself seems to be a PWA. The carousels of icons scroll nicely horizontally, as they should. And yes, you'll recognise a lot of the top PWAs, as we've already featured them here on AAWP.

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Browsing the 'top list' as err.... a list. I'll bet you can't get to number 20 without tapping through to try a PWA for yourself under Windows 10 Mobile. Or indeed whichever phone or browser you're using. This is cross-platform and cross-device; (right) I was left hunting for a way to get to categories for a few seconds, but they're here under Search...

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Browsing the PWA games, here's what looks like a nice Solitaire; (right) tappnig through to run it directly in Edge, you get a help screen and then the full game, below.

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It's fully touch-enabled and works very well indeed, albeit quite small here in portrait. Oddly, it shows better in landscape, but the extra slots need some experimentation in the UI. More 'patience' needed, Steve. [Oops, see what I did there?!] (right) Appscope can, in theory, send you notifications through the browser, but I don't think these work under Edge in Windows 10 Mobile. Oh well, probably for the best.

Having been keeping an eye on several PWA directories over the last year, Appscope seems to be the 'real deal' and will be my 'go to' from now on. Again, the URL to type in or pin is the memorable appsco.pe