gnome-quick-web-apps

GNOME Quick Web Apps is a Rust application for the Linux GNOME desktop that lets you turn any website into a standalone desktop app. You paste a URL, and the tool automatically reads the site's web app manifest to fill in the name, icon, and theme, then adds a launcher to your GNOME app grid. Each installed web app runs in its own window with its own taskbar identity, so you can switch between them with Alt-Tab just like native desktop programs.

Under the hood, each web app uses a Chromium-based rendering engine called CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework), which means modern websites, video playback on YouTube or Twitch, and audio services work without extra setup. The one significant limitation is DRM-protected streaming: Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, and similar services will not play because they require a specific cryptographic certification that embedded browser engines cannot obtain. The README explains this in detail and notes it is a platform-wide constraint, not a bug.

The manager interface gives you per-app controls beyond basic browsing: shared login profiles so you can group work apps on one signed-in session, a built-in ad and tracker blocker, the ability to force light or dark mode per app independently of your system theme, custom CSS injection, and a user agent spoof for sites that behave differently on Linux. Notifications carry the individual app's icon and name into your desktop notification list, and a background mode keeps an app running after you close its window.

Templates for more than 50 popular services including Gmail, Teams, WhatsApp, Notion, and Figma let you add well-known apps in a single click with icons already filled in. The project is written in Rust and targets GTK4 with the libadwaita styling library for a native GNOME look.