Opening the same handful of pages all day — a calendar, notes, a task manager — and wishing they’d behave more like native apps that don’t disappear when you close Firefox? Find out here how to install web apps locally using Firefox, using built‑in pin‑to‑taskbar on Windows or an extension for Linux and Mac.
First, Austenity Measures
Iron filings cling to magnets, as do screws (oh, how lucky we are!), paper clips — and irons, of course.
Alter the crystal structure lust a little (with a hint of nickel, for example), and the metal forgets to act as expected. Such austenitic steels, though iron at heart, decline to be magnetic.
If your favorite websites are behaving a bit like that — useful yet reluctant to stick — you can coax them into place with Firefox (and an add-on) and act more like apps pinned to your taskbar:
How to Install Web Apps Locally using Firefox
Using Progressive Web Apps (Windows, Mac and Linux)
Time needed: 3 minutes
To add a website to your device as a web app using the Firefox bowser:
- Install Progressive Web Apps for Firefox (see below).
Here’s why: Firefox does not include support for locally installed web apps without an extension.
Windows alternative: On Windows, you can enable Firefox to add web apps to the taskbar without the need for en extension; see below. - Open the page you want to install as a web apps locally.
Example: Open Zero-width Space Detector Pro, for example, to install a web app that lets you remove hidden characters from text.
- Click Install this site in the address bar.
- Click Install web app.
Install Progressive Web Apps for Firefox
To add the Progressive Web Apps for Firefox extension to the Firefox browser so you can install web apps locally
- Open Progressive Web Apps for Firefox in the Firefox add-on store.
- Click Add to Firefox.
- Click Add again.
- Follow the instructions to install the firefoxpwa software on your computer.
Here’s why: This package allows web apps to be installed on the native OS and run independently from Firefox.
Remove a Web App Installed with Progressive Web Apps for Firefox
To remove a web app you have installed using the Progressive Web Apps for Firefox extension:
- Click the extensions button in the Firefox toolbar.
- Select Progressive Web Apps for Firefox.
- Go to the Apps tab.
- Click the remove web app trashcan next to the app you want to delete.
- Click Remove.
Install Web Apps in Firefox for Windows (No Extension Needed)
To turn on support for web apps in Firefox for Windows:
- Open the page you want to install as a web app in Firefox.
Example: Visit Moon Phase Emoji Pro to install an app for viewing and sharing the current moon phase as an emoji. - Click the Add tab to taskbar icon in the address bar.
No icon: Installing web apps is available in Firefox for Windows 143 and later, but not in versions installed through Microsoft Store.
- Now click Yes if you are prompted to add the web app to Windows taskbar.
Here’s what happens: The tab opens in its own distinct window and browsing environment while the Firefox tab closes.
Their word: Mozilla include information on web apps in Firefox help.
Another app to try:
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Remove a Web App Installed with Firefox for Windows
To install a web app installed with Firefox for Windows:
- Open the app you want to remove from its taskbar icon.
- Click Remove tab from taskbar in the address bar
How to Install Web Apps Locally using Firefox: FAQ
Can I use a web app directly in Firefox, the browser?
Yes.
In lieu of (or in addition to) installing a web app as an app, you can also bookmark its address and use it right in Firefox.
Will web apps continue to work if I uninstall Firefox?
No.
If you remove Firefox, all web apps installed from Firefox will also be uninstalled.
(Tested with Firefox 147 and Progressive Web Apps for Firefox 2; first published February 2026)