How can I install a site as an app with Brave?

I know the normal path to save a page as an app, is to click on the laptop logo in the URL bar, or go to the three line menu, Save and Share, and then select "Install site x.

Does this mean, that if those options are not present, that Brave cannot do this? I would like to save wsj.com as an app to be opened in the Brave browser. Some months ago, I was able to do this with Edge, and I have an app for WSJ.com on my Windows 11 start menu, that opens in Edge. I’d like to view the site in Brave.

@paulri Check out below:

Essentially the way chromium browsers have set is that it only offered PWA if the website made one. If you weren’t seeing it, then it means the owners of that website didn’t create a PWA. By enabling the flag, you’re using a generic setup created by the browser.

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Thanks. I was able to install the site as an app by following the instructions in the link you provided.

I do have one question. My other site-installed app is in my Windows 11 start menu, where I would prefer it. When I did with with Brave, it only gave me an option to put it in my taskbar, which is ok, but I’d prefer it in my start menu. I wasn’t able to move the icon to my start menu. Is there a way to get Brave to let me save it to my start menu?

@paulri So I know you’re referencing:

But then you should see something like below on your desktop. What we have here is one for normal Brave, other is PWA for Brave Community, then PWA for Reddit:
image

If you open Start Menu, you’ll see:

Notice how it has Reddit on it, which is the PWA I just added?

Right click and you have an option to Pin to Start

At that part you can drag and drop it wherever, like I just positioned it on the top for this screenshot just so you can see it’s listed under Pinned:

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Sorry I typed out my last response to you, too soon.

After all that, I minimized everything to my taskbar, and low and behold, saw exactly what you screenshotted. Yeah, I was able to move the desktop icon to my start menu, exactly where i want it.

Sorry to trouble you, thanks for your advice. I wouldn’t have been able to have created the app to begin with without it.

All good, @paulri

Btw, also want to let you know if you’re unaware. You can go to brave://apps to see anything you have chosen to install as app. Such as:

From there can right click on them for some options:

Just in case it’s something you want/need to look into or mess with. Guess making sure you’re aware of those controls and settings, not to mention way to uninstall the web app(s) if you want to get rid of them.

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Great, thanks for that. I was unaware of it, till now.

Steps to Install a Site as an App in Brave:

  1. Open Brave and Navigate to the Website:
  1. Look for the Install Option:
  • When the website is open, check if there’s an icon in the URL bar (a small “laptop” or “plus” icon). If it appears, click on it, and you should see an option to “Install” or “Add” the site as an app.
  1. Alternative Method Using the Browser Menu:
  • If the icon is missing, click on the three-line menu (≡) in the upper-right corner of the browser.
  • Go to Save and Share (or similar wording in your version) and look for the “Install Site” option.

If These Options Don’t Appear:

  • Brave may not support all sites as PWAs. Not all sites are available to install as apps, especially if the website does not have PWA support enabled.
  • Verify Brave’s version: Ensure that Brave is up to date since PWA features can vary by version. Go to Settings > About Brave to check for updates.