I stumbled upon this killer feature in Microsoft Edge and boy has it been useful. Edge has a built in ability to essentially turn any web page into a web app. This streamlines your workflows by allowing you to have one click access to your favorite sites as well as keeping that site as a separate item in the Alt Tab switcher. The way it works varies by browser version so you’ll want to go into the Edge settings and search for Update. This will allow Edge to automatically update to the latest version if it isn’t already up to date. You’ll be prompted to restart Edge if an update has to run.
Once you’re on the latest version of Edge, this feature is pretty simple to use. First you’ll want to browse to your favorite site in edge. Then click the three dots in the top right of Edge to get to it’s menu and choose Apps > Install this site as an app. Finally click the Install button.
From there you’ll see the site open in a separate window with it’s site icon as it’s “App” icon on the taskbar. You’ll also be able to set some options. By default the site should be set to be pinned to the taskbar so you can open it with one click. You also have the option to create a desktop shortcut to the “App” and to auto start the app on device login. Once you make your choices you’ll click Allow to finalize them.
The advantages of these apps are numerous. In addition to the previously mentioned benefits I have found others. First, I began using this as a way to get shortcuts to my favorite streaming services which don’t have a native Windows application (see Paramount+ which used to have an excellent Windows App when it was called CBS All Access). Then I put a little more thought into it and I realized there are sites I absolutely use whenever I’m on my computer. For the purposes of this post I’ll describe my work workflow. At work I have a timesheet and a ticketing system that I use that are both web based. The majority of my work comes through the ticketing system so it ALWAYS has to be open to allow me to see new tickets. So I installed it as an app and set it to auto start. Now, even after a reboot or power failure it’s there when I first log in. I do the same with our timesheet website so I don’t forget to load my timesheet and fill it in each day. 
Install as an app is such a useful, yet unpromoted and unadvertised feature, and another reason Microsoft Edge is my default and only browser of choice.
