Google Sheets PWA "install Page as app" takes me to root URL instead of my target URL

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1

Description

It some point in the last year-ish, PWAs stopped working with this URL - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CeTeb2QPHKvzAKB1OHipSYrEnnnnxqIlRE5wI6ZOlQo/edit?gid=1548936614#gid=1548936614, the PWA now sends me to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/?tgif=d and I then have to search for my “app” which is just a specific spreadsheet, increasing friction my UX. Which is highly annoying and I just stopped using the PWA and instead just hit “cmd + l” to highlight the URL bar and type “cycles” to search history and launch it that way. However, I don’t get a dedicated app icon when using the application switcher on Mac with that workaround, and really want the old behavior back.

I finally had the energy to open a ticket, here.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Go to a spreadsheet link e.g. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CeTeb2QPHKvzAKB1OHipSYrEnnnnxqIlRE5wI6ZOlQo/edit?gid=1548936614#gid=1548936614
  2. Menu > Save and Share > Install Page as App - Name it “Cycles”
  3. Command space to launch spotlight, type “Cycles” then launch the app.
  4. It takes me to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/?tgif=d instead.

Actual result

Instead of going to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CeTeb2QPHKvzAKB1OHipSYrEnnnnxqIlRE5wI6ZOlQo/edit?gid=1548936614#gid=1548936614, the PWA takes me to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/?tgif=d.

Expected result

Instead of going to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CeTeb2QPHKvzAKB1OHipSYrEnnnnxqIlRE5wI6ZOlQo/edit?gid=1548936614#gid=1548936614, the PWA takes me to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/?tgif=d.

Reproduces how often

Easily reproduced

Brave version (brave://version info)

Brave 1.74.50 Chromium: 132.0.6834.111 (Official Build) (arm64)
Revision f9e2d89c457e6719881a5db35f6785a4207d2b59
OS macOS Version 14.5 (Build 23F79)

Channel information

  • release (stable)
  • beta
  • nightly

Reproducibility

  • with Brave Shields disabled
  • with Brave Rewards disabled
  • in the latest version of Chrome
    • No, it does not work in Chrome either, same behavior.

Miscellaneous information

No response

2

In addition, when I try to open the “app” version, it tries to rename it back to “sheets”.

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3

I wonder if it is a redirect on Google Sheet’s part, but wondering how to see.

4

I wonder if it is something to do with the PWA manifest, and basically Google Sheets doesn’t let you link to specific docs. Hrm… maybe it wasn’t a change with Chrome or Brave, but with the manifest spec?

5

ChatGPT 4o led me to this repo, which I will try: https://github.com/karlhorky/pwa-tricks

6

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