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I am playing around with HTML 5 apps according to this tutorial: http://sixrevisions.com/web-development/html5-iphone-app/ It's pretty cool.

Since the product is a HTML5 page, the way to deploy is through browsers, or safari in iPhone. If you would like to access this HTML5 App like native apps, all you have to do is to follow this tutorial: http://browsers.about.com/od/howtousemobilebrowser1/ss/iphonehomeicons.htm An you will have a icon and splash screen just like any other native app.

However, non-IT users tend to download apps from AppStores. It's hard to change their habit. I am wondering if there is a way to tell safari to conduct "Add to Home Screen" directly once the HTML5 app is loaded in iPhone/Android?

If so, the deployment can be simple and strait-forward: just visit the URL. (Or something like that.)

Winston Chen
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  • No, you have to push "Add to Home Screen" manually. Can you just use a uiwebview and make an app for the app store? – beatgammit Aug 07 '11 at 07:10

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Check this out. This gives a very clear indication to your users as to how to install the app.

If it was automatic, that would be a huge security hole. Just think if a user went to a bad website, then the website installed like 50 apps on the users phone. Not a good thing.

The only way to "install" a webapp without using the app-store and a uiwebview is through manually doing so.

EDIT:

See another question of mine for more information and links:

Mobile safari vs home-screen webapp

Community
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beatgammit
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  • thanks! I thought so too. I am just afraid that APPLE may someday ban the UIWebView-only app. That's why I am not choosing doing it this way. – Winston Chen Aug 07 '11 at 07:25
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    @Winston Chen- I develop HTML5 apps as well, but I use this method because I only want to maintain one chunk of code/install process. Just remember, if you use a webapp, the JS engine is worse than UIWebView JS or even MobileSafari JS. If your application is very intense, this may not be the best solution. – beatgammit Aug 07 '11 at 07:30
  • Thank you very much. I did not know this. Could you please provide more information on this? This might strongly influence my decision on which way to go for? – Winston Chen Aug 07 '11 at 07:43
  • See an [unanswered question of mine](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6048692/mobile-safari-vs-home-screen-webapp). There are a few useful links there. – beatgammit Aug 07 '11 at 07:45