How to install and remove websites as apps in Ubuntu, Zorin OS, Pop_OS! and other distributions

Installing a website as a standalone app from Google Chrome can provide several benefits, especially when using frequently visited sites like Spotify. By installing Spotify as a standalone app, you can easily access the site without the need to open a new browser window or navigate to the site manually each time. You can just click on it’s icon in your desktop environment’s app section and you can even pin the app to your taskbar for convenient access.

To install a website as an app from inside Google Chrome, follow these simple steps:

  1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to the website you want to install as an app. If you want a certain page to open when you click the app icon, navigate to that page before going to the next step.
  2. Click on the three-dot menu at the top right corner of the Chrome window and select “More tools”.
  3. Select “Create shortcut” and enter a name for the app.
  4. Check the “Open as window” box if you want the app to open in its own window, and click “Create”.
  5. After a shortwhile, the app should appear in your desktop environment’s menu when you press the “Super” key.

To uninstall webapps is a bit more complicated. There must be a better way, but this is the one that worked for me.

  1. Open your file explorer (Nautilus, Nemo or whatever you like could work)
  2. If you don’t se hidden files and directories (which always start with a dot), press ctrl + h to make them visible
  3. Navigate to /.local/share/applications in your home directory
  4. Here you will see a few files like these:
  1. The files that start with “chrome-” are your installed web applications.
  2. Start double-clicking on them to check which is which. When the system asks if you are sure you want to run them select yes.
  3. If the app launched is not the one you want to delete, double click on the next one and the next one until you find the one you wanted.
  4. Delete the file.
  5. After a shortwhile the app should dissapear from your desktop environment’s app menu.

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