Install as an App
Paintapp is a Progressive Web App (PWA). That means it can be installed directly from your browser onto your device — giving you an experience that feels much closer to a traditional desktop application, without going through any app store. Installation is optional; the browser version continues to work exactly as before.
What is a Progressive Web App?
A PWA is a website that has been built to behave like a native app. Modern browsers provide a standard mechanism for "installing" such a site: the browser downloads everything needed to run it locally, creates an app icon, and from that point forward launches it in its own dedicated window rather than a browser tab.
Under the hood Paintapp is still the same web application — the same code, the same files, the same updates. Installing it as a PWA just changes how the operating system and browser present it to you.
Benefits of installing
No address bar or browser chrome
The window shows only Paintapp — no tabs, no bookmarks bar, no browser toolbar taking up space. You get the full screen area for your work.
App icon & taskbar entry
Paintapp gets its own icon in the Start menu (Windows), Dock (macOS), Launchpad, or Home Screen (mobile). You can launch it just like any other application.
Fewer permission re-prompts
Browsers are more conservative about persisting permissions for regular websites. When installed as an app, file access and other permissions tend to survive longer between sessions without needing to be re-granted.
Keyboard shortcuts without conflicts
Many browser shortcuts (Ctrl+W, Ctrl+T, F5 refresh, etc.) overlap with Paintapp's shortcuts. In the installed window the browser no longer intercepts those keys, so they work as expected.
Separated from your browser
The app lives in its own window outside your browser session. Closing your browser does not close Paintapp. It also appears separately in Alt+Tab and the system taskbar.
Feels more native
Combined, the above changes mean the app behaves more like a program you installed — no accidental navigation, no "are you sure you want to leave this page?" dialogs, and a consistent launch path every time.
The Install button
When your browser supports installation and the app has not yet been installed, an INSTALL button appears in the Paintapp menu bar (top-right area, next to the sign-in button). Click it to begin the installation. The browser will show its own confirmation dialog; click Install there to confirm.
Once installation completes the button disappears automatically — there is no need to install twice.
Installation by browser
| Browser / Platform | How to install | Support |
|---|---|---|
 Chrome (desktop) |
Click the INSTALL button in the Paintapp menu bar, or look for the install icon (⊕) in the browser's address bar and click it. | Full |
 Edge (desktop) |
Click the INSTALL button in the Paintapp menu bar, or open the Edge menu (…) and choose More Tools → Apps → Install this site as an app. | Full |
 Safari (iOS / iPadOS) |
Open Paintapp in Safari, tap the Share button (), scroll down, and tap Add to Home Screen. The installed app opens in full-screen without the Safari toolbar. | Full |
| Safari (macOS) |
Open Paintapp in Safari, go to File → Add to Dock (macOS Sonoma and later). The app will appear in your Dock and Launchpad. | macOS 14+ |
 Firefox (desktop) |
Firefox does not support PWA installation on desktop. You can still use Paintapp normally in the browser tab; you just won't get the app window experience. Consider switching to Chrome or Edge if you want the installed app. | Not supported |
What happens after installation
The installed app and the browser tab are the same application — they share the same local storage, preferences, and signed-in account. You do not need to sign in again, and documents you had open in the browser will still be there.
Updates to Paintapp happen automatically in the background, the same as in the browser. The next time you open the installed app it will use the latest version — no manual update step required.
Uninstalling
Uninstalling the app does not delete your documents or account. Your files stay wherever they are stored (cloud, local disk, or browser storage). You can always reinstall or just go back to using the browser tab.
Windows
Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, search for Paintapp, and click Uninstall. Alternatively, right-click the Paintapp icon in the Start menu and choose Uninstall.
In Chrome you can also go to chrome://apps, right-click the Paintapp tile, and choose Remove from Chrome.
macOS
In Chrome or Edge, go to the browser's app manager: chrome://apps or edge://apps. Right-click the Paintapp icon and choose Remove from Chrome / Edge.
If you installed via Safari (macOS Sonoma+), right-click the Paintapp icon in the Dock and choose Options → Remove from Dock, or delete it from Launchpad by holding down the icon until it jiggles, then clicking the ✕.
Android
Long-press the Paintapp icon on your home screen and drag it to the Uninstall area, or go to Settings → Apps → Paintapp → Uninstall.
iOS / iPadOS
Long-press the Paintapp icon until a menu appears, then tap Remove App → Delete App. Your iCloud files are not affected.
Permissions and the installed app
Browsers treat installed PWAs more like trusted apps than visited websites. In practice this means:
- File system access — Folders you grant access to in the File Browser are remembered for longer sessions. You are less likely to see "permission expired" warnings mid-session compared to a regular browser tab.
- Clipboard access — The installed app can read and write the clipboard more reliably, without the per-paste permission prompt that some browsers show for websites.
- Notifications — If you have granted notification permission in the browser, that permission carries over to the installed app automatically.