Twitter PWA Picks Up Windows 10 Start Menu Integration

Twitter PWA Picks Up Windows 10 Start Menu Integration

The Windows 10 version of the Twitter app now lets you pin users to the Start menu. This is a nice example of the scalability of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which can expose platform-specific features that don’t appear elsewhere.

As you may know, I’ve been pushing the Twitter PWA app for almost a year. But with Microsoft adding PWA support directly to Windows 10, things are really getting interesting. And that PWA version of Twitter has been available via the Microsoft Store in Windows 10 since last month.

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The initial release was pretty basic, just a wrapper around the existing PWA. But this an update this week, the PWA version of Twitter has picked up its first platform-specific integration: You can now pin Twitter users to the Start menu.

To do so, navigate to any user’s profile page. Then, click the Settings (gear) button and choose “Pin user” from the menu.

As you can see, this menu item does not appear in the Twitter PWA on other platforms. For example, here is the same app in Chrome (on the same PC as above).

Pinned users appear as resizable live tiles in the Start menu. You can even choose the largest tile size if you want. Pretty cool.

 

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Conversation 8 comments

  • Richicoder

    20 April, 2018 - 1:21 pm

    <p>Technically the first native feature added was jump lists support. But this is pretty darn exciting too. </p>

    • NazmusLabs

      21 April, 2018 - 1:28 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#264658"><em>In reply to Richicoder:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yup</p>

  • DXtremeBob

    Premium Member
    20 April, 2018 - 5:53 pm

    <p>Cool. Added mine to a Start Menu folder.</p>

  • Aras

    20 April, 2018 - 5:59 pm

    <p>Dark Mode needs to be added asap. This site as well. White is so over now.</p>

    • karlinhigh

      Premium Member
      20 April, 2018 - 6:29 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#264757"><em>In reply to Aras:</em></a></blockquote><p>I pre-emptively declare "dark" to be "over" as well.</p>

      • NazmusLabs

        21 April, 2018 - 1:28 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#264760"><em>In reply to karlinhigh:</em></a></blockquote><p>You don't get it. White mode is difficult for me and a lot of people at night. Dark mode is a usability and accessibility features and NOT a gimic. Privacy why it took off in the software development environment first, as late night programmers noticed it's value.</p><p><br></p><p>So, if you don't like it, then fine. White mode always appears to be the default on almost all apps that support dark mode option. Yet you feel triggered because someone else dares have a different taste than yours. Is your world view this narrow?</p><p><br></p><p>P.S. Perhaps you were just upset because the OP declared white mode it be over. In that case, I'd like to remind you that empathy is essential to understand what others are thinking and why they react the way they do. Have you considered that the comment about white mode being over is more likely related to years of frustration of being stuck with a bright UI that is difficult for certain people and even though a fix may be easy, developers often refuse to acknowledge it's need or take too long to implement it?</p>

        • karlinhigh

          Premium Member
          23 April, 2018 - 11:11 am

          <blockquote><a href="#264886"><em>In reply to NazmusLabs:</em></a></blockquote><p>Ah, communication failure.</p><p><br></p><p>The post from Aras declared "white is so over now," no reasons given. I found nothing to empathize with; any attempt to do so would have instead been projection.</p><p><br></p><p>Now, if users prefer dark interface themes for reasons other than fashion, by all means use such themes. Windows also has high-contrast modes for vision assistance.</p><p><br></p><p>But if declaring a color theme to be "over" is coming from fashion trends only, consider that pre-Macintosh systems such as DOS and Unix probably WERE mostly dark-themed. Then Macintosh came along – here's the Steven Levy book "Insanely Great:"</p><p class="ql-indent-1"><br></p><p class="ql-indent-1"><em>"Compared to the phosphorescent garbage heap of DOS… the world one entered into when flicking on a Macintosh was a clean, well-lit room… It welcomed your work."</em></p><p><br></p><p>Dark was "over," white was the new and great thing. If this is just a fashion cycle that comes and goes, making it possible to be "in style" twice without ever changing – then much time and trouble could be saved by declaring ALL colors and themes to be "over" and "obsolete" and "dated" and "passe" and whatever other deprecations are available. Then, design user interfaces as timeless as possible while best serving those using them.</p>

  • dcdevito

    21 April, 2018 - 9:32 am

    <p>I don't get any sound on videos in this app, can anyone confirm if theirs is working?</p>

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