Installing too many apps on your phone not only slows down your phone but also reduces battery efficiency. Most apps also ask for invasive permissions, making them a privacy nightmare. One way to avoid all this is to launch a browser and use websites instead of apps, but this isn’t always a very efficient solution. Today we’re going to show you how to turn almost any website with full functionality, including dark mode, full screen interface, and more, into a native Android app.
Turn Any Website into a ‘Lite’ Android App
There are multiple apps in the Google Play Store that allow you to convert third-party websites into native Android apps. We’ll be using three of these for our demo today. The first is called solitary, is probably the best-known app in the segment and is also by far the most feature-rich. We will also use an open source application called Native Alpha this needs to be uploaded from Github. Finally, we’ll also show you how to use the good old one. Google Chrome To make Android apps from websites. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Note: Services that do not have fully functional websites will not magically gain native app functionality with the methods described below. For example, Instagram doesn’t allow you to upload images on its website, which means the app you created will be similarly blocked..
Practice 1: Hermit; Developer: Chimbori
As of now, the best way to convert a website to mobile app is, solitary (Free). It can be downloaded for free on the Google Play Store. App creation, dark mode, ad blocking, full screen UI, etc. Almost all the relevant features are available in the free version. However, a few advanced features like scripts, tags, content blocker and custom user agent are behind a paywall.
- Hermit allows you to create an app by selecting a ‘ready-made’ lightweight app from the app’s existing inventory or by manually entering a URL.
Instant Apps
- Tap on “+Tick ” in the top bar to see the full library of lightweight apps. Now scroll down to check all available apps and choose the one you want. I’m using Wikipedia for demo purposes.
- When you create the Wikipedia lite app, the Hermit will appear on the homepage (left screenshot below) and there will also be a shortcut on the phone’s homepage (right screenshot below). You can tap one of the shortcuts to launch your Lite app.
- To use Dark Mode for newly created lite app, run it and gear icon (Settings menu) at the top right. Now tap on Dark Mode option in the lower-right corner of the drop-down panel. The app will be reloaded in all its dark themed glory.
Note: Don’t forget to change the system theme to dark (Settings > More Settings > Theme > Dark) to see all settings pages and menus in dark mode..
Build a Lite App for Any Website
You can also turn any website into a lite Android app using Hermit. We’re using Beebom as an example, and here’s how to do it:
- Enter your destination URL in the search bar at the bottom and press Enter. After the site loads, click the gear icon in the top right.
- In the pop-up menu, tap on it. Build a simple app. You will have the option to choose the name of the app and edit its URL before completing your selection. You can also choose to add a shortcut to the home screen using the checkbox. [1]. Finally, hit To create [2].
- If you select this option in the last step, the Beebom web app will be added to the Hermit home screen and your device’s home screen. You will be able to launch the app from either shortcut.
Hermit is a feature-packed app and mostly works great. It offers a dark mode option, a borderless full-screen UI, and even a built-in ad-blocker, all of which can be set individually for each lite app. It’s a bit problematic, however, and in my experience you may need to try two or three times before certain options work as advertised.
Practice 2: Local Alpha; Developer: Cyclonid
Native Alpha is an open source Android app that can turn any website into an Android app in seconds. Created by the developer, Cyclonid uses the built-in Android WebView to display the website. For privacy reasons, you can use alternative webviews like Bromite on rooted devices. Native Alpha is still in the pre-release phase and will be hosted on the Play Store yet. You can download it from Github (Free) and sideload on your Android phone.
Note: Native Alpha is only compatible with Android Oreo and newer. The developer says that support for older versions is working but there is no ETA for it yet..
- When you first launch Native Alpha, you are prompted to add a URL to create your first web app. in summer URL of the target website. To have a shortcut for the lite app on your home screen, keep the toggle button ‘On’ [1] and shoot OK [2].
Note: You can create lite web apps at any time by tapping on the red “.+” button in the lower right corner of the main page of the application.
- The app will automatically download a high resolution icon if the website offers one. If not, shoot Set Custom Icon Press the button to add an icon of your choice from your gallery or installed icon pack. Hit OK > Add once you are done.
- You will now see your new Beebom Lite app shortcut on your phone’s home screen and on the Native Alpha home page.
Native Alpha, which is still in its pre-release stage, lacks some of Hermit’s features, including dark mode and full-screen UI. However, there is an experimental ad blocker that is ‘Off’ by default but can be turned on from settings. All said and done, it’s less problematic than Native Alpha Hermit and the features it offers are brighter. The application is under active development and the version v0.85.1 I am using was released on January 30, 2021. So let’s hope the developer will add some other cool features soon.
Application 3: Google Chrome; Developer: Google
Did you know that even Google Chrome for Android lets you create (sort of) simple apps for many websites? That’s right, Google’s all-conquering browser can create lightweight apps for websites with a built-in Progressive Web Application (PWA) manifest. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Chrome and go to the website where you want to create the shortcut (lite app). Then the menu button (three points) in the upper left. Finally, select on the sliding panel. Add to home screen.
Note: This only works in regular tabs, not in incognito mode.
- You will have the option to enter a name for the shortcut before Chrome adds the shortcut to your home screen.
Note: You can create website shortcuts on Android devices in the same way as other popular web browsers, including Firefox..
Note that while the lightweight apps created by Native Alpha and Hermit function as standalone apps (more like website wrappers), the shortcuts created by Chrome function as a browser tab rather than a standalone app. Either way, it’s still a great option, especially if you can’t be bothered to install another app on your phone.
Build Android Apps from Websites to Save Storage Space and Improve Privacy
Converting websites into apps means you no longer need to grant any invasive permissions to run these services on your phone. They will also not work in the background and send your private data back to their servers, and they will not consume battery in the meantime. So, use our guide above to convert websites to apps on your Android phone and let us know which method and for which websites you choose. Learn how to change your DNS settings on Android and lock your Facebook profile on iPhones and Android to further enhance privacy on your phone.
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