There are many notable names to choose from regarding the web browser domain. While the old players like Mozilla Firefox and Opera have firmly established themselves, even the newcomers such as Vivaldi and Brave have captured a decent chunk of the user base.
However, many users are still inclined toward Google Chrome despite many such options. And the reason for the same is hardly a secret either.
The offering from Google manages to check-mark all the necessary prerequisites we could have looked forward to in a browser.
But out of all the handy features, it has on the bucket list.
For the unaware, PWA or Chrome Apps are the trimmed-down versions of the apps that don’t compromise on the features, are remarkably lightweight, and could be used within the browser ecosystem.
So with such a plentitude of benefits attached, there’s every reason to try them. If you also echo this thought, this guide shall come in handy in choosing the best PWA apps for your machine.
As a result, we have listed a few of the best Chrome Apps for your computer that deserves your attention.
All-in-One Messenger
It’s fair to assume that nearly all our readers might use at least a few social media accounts for professional or personal purposes.
Even now, I’m logged into WhatsApp Web, have to juggle between Skype and Slack for professional talks and give a shot to Discord occasionally in between breaks.
But managing all these social media channels is no easy task. It’s where the All-in-One Messenger Chrome App comes in handy. It beholds all the popular messenger apps under one roof, and you can easily switch to the desired one in just a few clicks.
In this regard, here are some of the All-in-One Messenger app’s other valuable features that make it relatively easy to manage all your accounts:
- It could access all the popular messenger and social media apps, whether WhatsApp, Telegram, Hangouts, WeChat, or Steam Client.
- Likewise, you could create multiple instances of an app- such as using one WhatsApp account for personal usage and the other for work-related purposes- all from within this app.
- Moreover, you could use multiple apps simultaneously, switch to the desired tab and access the app of your choice.
While it scores from the multi-tasking point of view, there’s always risk involved when logging in to a third-party client with your social media account’s credentials. So keep this point in point before giving this app a try.
Calmly Writer
I generally prefer a neat and clean work environment without distractions regarding content writing or blog posting. And I guess I am not the only one with this prerequisite.
So if you also echo this thought, you shouldn’t think twice before opting for Calmy Writer. It offers a blank writing pad with no options or settings in front.
All editing features are baked inside the context menu, which can easily be invoked as and when required with a single right-click.
Moreover, the below-mentioned features give Calmly Writer an edge over its counterpart in the word processor domain:
- Apart from creating a new document, you could also import PDFs, word documents, and HTML files to this app and edit them on the go.
- All documents are saved to the cloud to access as and when required from all your authorized devices.
- You could switch to the Dark Writing mode, which would cause less strain on your eyes and save your PC’s battery life.
- Likewise, it also comes with additional features, such as a word counter tool or an estimated reading time.
With that said, it shouldn’t be used as an alternative to Microsoft Word or Google Docs. It is designed to give you a minimalist approach to content writing with just a basic set of features, and it excels in that field. You might have to look elsewhere if you are looking for advanced options.
Polarr Photo Editor
Most photo editing software is costly and requires heavy CPU/GPU processing capabilities.
However, Polarr Photo Editor is a rare tool that beholds many editing functionalities and is exceptionally lightweight and easy to use.
All of these fall under its domain for auto-enhance tools, sophisticated filters, layer support, or local adjustments.
Apart from that, you will also be able to make use of the following advanced editing features in Polarr Photo Editor:
- Dual lens effects, depth adjustments, and tons of filters.
- Different types of custom overlay and complex blending modes.
- Numerous masking sets and local adjustment tools have over ten blending modes.
- Adjustments to Color, Light, Vignette, Lens, Effects, HSL, Toning, Denoise, and LUT could be made in just a few clicks.
On the flip side, though, the app was last updated two years ago. So if you encounter any bugs or issues, don’t keep your expectations high. It might quash them within a few days.
Kindle Cloud Reader
Kindle, the popular e-reader from Amazon, has now turned over to Chrome as a browser app. So you can now read all your preferred Kindle books directly from the browser itself.
The best part about this app is its nifty sync functionality- it automatically saves your last read page, the last note you made, and all the highlights you had done. As a result, you could easily pick up from that point across all your signed-in devices.
Apart from that, Kindle Cloud Reader also comes with a few other impressive features up its sleeves, namely:
- Customize the font size, text color, and background color.
- Likewise, you could also highlight texts and create and edit notes and bookmarks.
- Another helpful feature is the ability to directly search for the meaning of a word or listen to its pronunciation.
- Moreover, the app would automatically save the current book for offline reading.
However, for some reason, the developers seem no longer interested in this app. It is evident that the app last got its update back in 2014.
So there could be some compatibility issues with the newer version of Chrome. Likewise, using such an old build isn’t a good idea from a security point of view.
Screencastify
Video conferencing and screen recording apps have dramatically increased their popularity during work-from-home trends.
The Screencastify Chrome app has become the default choice for many students and professionals.
Allowing you to record your screen while simultaneously allowing you to add your voice and video via the webcam, and there’s not much left.
Likewise, it allows you to record the activities inside the browser window rather than recording the entire display.
Some of screencastify’s other intriguing features include:
- You could easily annotate the video using the pen tool, stickers, texts, and other GUI elements.
- Likewise, it allows you to trim down a video to the desired length or merge two or more videos.
- Once you are done recording a video, save it to Drive, share it in Google Classroom, or publish it instantly to YouTube.
- It supports cross-platform compatibility, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and ChromeOS.
While there is no limitation on the recording time, it will add its watermark if it’s more than 5 minutes. The only way to remove this is by shelling out some bucks and purchasing its Pro version.
Microsoft Office Online
Regarding the documentation tools, there’s no better option than the offering from Microsoft.
These three apps are usually the go-to choice in the professional workspace: MS Word for creating documents, PowerPoint for managing slideshows, or Excel for handling data.
However, these are costly software and take up considerable space on your PC.
It is where their Chrome Apps counterpart comes into the picture. All these three apps are entirely free to use and don’t require their standalone Office apps.
Apart from that, here are some of Microsoft Office Online’s other noteworthy features:
- You can easily create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online.
- Real-time collaborative and editing capabilities.
- You could directly save all your work over to OneDrive.
Moreover, if Office software is installed, these online apps could easily be integrated and linked for a streamlined workflow.
Remember that it is a slightly trimmed-down version of their counterparts. So while you might be able to get hold of the essential document editing features, you would probably have to refer to their Office apps for the advanced ones.
Bottom Line
We round off the guide with some of the best Chrome apps currently available for PC.
A few years back, Chrome Apps were among the most famous names in town. However, it didn’t manage to survive for long as the browser extensions managed to outdo them across various fields.
In this regard, we have listed apps belonging to various domains- from the messenger service to word processors and even torrent clients.
What do you think about these Progressive Web Apps? Do you think any favorites you think should make it to the list? Would you mind sharing your thoughts?
Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback on 5+ Best Progressive Web Apps for Computer browser, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.
