Using Progressive Web Apps to Access Gmail on Windows
If you’ve ever wanted a more app-like experience for Gmail on Windows but found Google’s lack of a dedicated desktop app frustrating, you’re not alone. I ran into this myself. There’s a way around it using Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which are basically web apps that mimic native software pretty well. It’s kind of a workaround and not official, but honestly, once it’s set up, it feels seamless. Took a fair bit of tinkering for me to get it right, so I’ll share what finally worked reliably.
Opening Gmail in Chrome
First, you gotta open Chrome. Nope, other browsers like Edge or Firefox don’t support the PWA functions quite as neatly—at least not as smoothly as Chrome. Open Chrome, go to https://mail.google.com, and sign in. Wait for your inbox to fully load. This step is super basic, but I found that if Gmail isn’t fully loaded before creating the shortcut, you end up with a blank window or something wonky later. It’s worth waiting just a couple of extra seconds for everything to come through.
Creating a Shortcut for Gmail
Once Gmail looks good, click on the three-dot menu icon at the top right of Chrome (that vertical ellipsis). Hover over ‘More tools’—that part was a little tucked away—and then select ‘Create shortcut…’. Depending on your Chrome version, it might just say ‘Create shortcut’ directly. When that little dialog pops up, give your shortcut a name—probably just ‘Gmail’. Here’s the key: check the box that says ‘Open as window’. This makes Gmail open in its own window, separate from Chrome’s main browser window, and without the address bar, tabs, or UI clatter. It looks and feels almost like a native app. Hit ‘Create’ and… that’s it. Usually, the shortcut pops up on your desktop fairly quickly, but sometimes I had to refresh or double-click it a couple of times to get it to appear.
Pinning Gmail to Your Taskbar
Double-click that new shortcut to make sure it opens Gmail in a dedicated window. If it’s smooth, right-click on its icon on your taskbar and choose ‘Pin to taskbar’. Now you’ve got quick access whenever you want. This setup doesn’t quite turn Gmail into a native app—since it’s technically a PWA built with Chrome behind the scenes—but it’s close enough that the experience feels a lot cleaner than just a pinned tab or a regular browser window. And since it’s a separate window, it’s easier to focus and switch between apps.
Why Does This Work?
This trick leverages Chrome’s support for PWAs—these are web services packaged to run more like apps. They’re lightweight, don’t require a full browser window, and can be pinned, launched, or even appear in your app list. I find it hits a good middle ground: better than just opening a tab and leaving Chrome cluttered, but not as complex as installing a separate app. Gaining that dedicated window means fewer distractions, and it feels a lot faster to get into Gmail when needed. Sure, Chrome still runs underneath, but honestly, it’s a small price to pay for the convenience.
Final Tips
Be aware, this setup isn’t perfect. Chrome updates or Windows patches can sometimes break the shortcut, or you might find that you need to reset or recreate it after a while. Clearing cache or resetting the shortcut can fix most issues if Gmail suddenly stops opening correctly. Also, pay attention when you check ‘Open as window’ during the shortcut creation—sometimes it’s a tiny checkbox in that dialog. If you’re using other browsers, like Edge, the process can be similar, but menu names and paths differ. In Edge, you’d go to Settings > Apps > Install this site as an app, which does a similar thing.
In my experience, this beats just pinning a tab because it actually opens as a separate window—not just a browser tab—making it feel much more like a standalone app. Yeah, it’s a bit of a hack, but it works really well once you get it all sorted.
Hope this helped — it took quite a bit of fiddling on my end to figure out. The official Google approach would be nice, but until then, this workaround is pretty darn solid. Anyway, hope this saves someone else a weekend of frustrations!