Ride-hailing company Uber launched their native Universal Windows Platform (UWP) Windows 10 app back in December 2015. The app was launched for both Windows 10 Mobile and PCs and came with features such as Cortana support. However, the company dropped support for the Windows 10 apps earlier this year, after the apps became unusable on both the platforms.
All is not lost, though, as the apps now seem to have been updated to a Progressive Web App (PWA) in the Microsoft Store. To recap, PWAs are web apps that use modern technologies to provide a more app-like experience. They can leverage certain OS features to mimic native apps, such as push notifications and the ability to work offline. The Uber PWA is available for Windows 10. However, since PWAs aren’t supported on Windows 10 Mobile, the app will be a web app wrapped in a container. This means that notifications would most probably not work on the mobile version of the app.
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On the PC though, the app takes care of basic functions such as booking a ride and redeeming coupons. Certain functions such as trying to view previous trips re-direct the user to a browser page. However, since it is a PWA, it need not be frequently updated via the Microsoft Store, as server-side updates will cascade to the app itself. Uber’s new PWA can also be accessed from the web at m.uber.com. You can read more about the technology behind the Uber PWA here.
It is interesting to see big names such as Uber joining the likes of Twitter in bringing their PWAs to the Microsoft Store. Though the app is currently very basic on the PC and looks like a larger version of the mobile app with inconsistencies such as two back buttons (title bar and in-app), the app can very well be updated dynamically and leverage upcoming PWA features in the future. You can download the Uber app from the Microsoft Store here. Please do note that you must be on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update or above to leverage all PWA functionalities.
Via Thurrott.com
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