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Installing the Agent Desk progressive web application (PWA)

Progressive web applications (PWAs) combine features of traditional platform-specific applications and websites.

  • Users can install a PWA on their device like a platform-specific application.

  • PWAs can operate in the background and offline (although they must be online to exchange data with a server). They can also use the operating system’s notification system.

  • PWAs run without the browser UI around them, and they can run in full-screen mode, giving users a more immersive experience.

You can configure Unblu so that your agents can install the Agent Desk on their device as a progressive web application (PWA).

This is a preview feature. It may be subject to change or removal with no further notice.

To enable preview features, set com.unblu.platform.enablePreview to true.

For more information on preview features, refer to the Unblu release policy.

Installing the PWA

How you install a PWA varies from browser to browser. In Google Chrome, for example, the option is in the Chrome settings menu in the upper right-hand corner of the browser.

Browser support for installing PWAs

Browser support for installing PWAs varies depending on the device’s operating system:

  • On desktop operating systems, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge support installing PWAs out of the box. Mozilla Firefox requires a PWA extension.

  • On Android devices, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox all support installing PWAs.

  • On macOS, Safari doesn’t let users install PWAs.

  • On iOS 16.4 and older, only Safari lets you install PWAs. On newer versions of iOS, you can install PWAs from all browsers.

Enabling and configuring the Agent Desk PWA

To enable installing the Agent Desk PWA, set com.unblu.pwa.enableProgressiveWebApp to true. When you do so, browsers that support installing PWAs provide a way to install the Agent Desk when it’s open in the agent’s browser.

Some aspects of the PWA are configurable:

  • You can set the theme color of the PWA with com.unblu.pwa.pwaThemeColor. The setting only affects the PWA, not the contents of the Agent Desk displayed in the PWA.

  • You can use com.unblu.pwa.pwaDisplayMode to predefine how the PWA should be displayed when it’s opened. The extent to which browsers and operating systems honor the setting varies widely, however, so it may not have an effect for your agents.

  • Use com.unblu.pwa.pwaName to define the name of the PWA once it’s installed.

  • The description of the PWA defined in com.unblu.pwa.pwaDescription only appears in the manifest and its overview. It’s unlikely your agents will ever see it, but you can change it.

The configuration and text properties above only affect the PWA before agents install it.

Working with the PWA

Once agents have installed the Agent Desk PWA on their device, they can launch the Agent Desk like a native application. The PWA’s icon displays badges for unread messages in the same circumstances as they’re displayed within the Agent Desk.

See also