Mozilla is working tirelessly to bring highly requested features to its Firefox web browser. The latest addition is vertical tabs, which was launched in Firefox 136. Other features like tab groups are also in the pipeline and will be released in a future update. But there's more - Firefox has already gained an edge over its competitors by introducing support for browser extensions on mobile devices.

This advantage notwithstanding, Firefox still lags behind in one crucial area: Progressive Web Apps (PWA) support. While Chromium-based browsers have been supporting PWAs for some time now, Firefox users have had to rely on third-party extensions or workarounds to access these web apps.

So, what are Progressive Web Apps? Simply put, they take websites or services out of the browser and make them function like native applications. This means you get window controls, offline support, and more. While not every user needs PWAs, those who do will appreciate the ability to pin them to the taskbar or Start menu for easy access.

The good news is that Mozilla is actively developing native PWA support for Firefox, dubbed Taskbar Tabs. This feature is still in development, but when it's ready, users can expect seamless integration with their operating system. For now, you can enable the preference browser.taskbarTabs.enabled in Firefox Nightly to get a glimpse of what's coming.

In a recent post on the Mozilla Connect website, employee David Rubino shared the company's vision for web apps. According to him, the main focus is on bringing app-like features to web apps, including the ability to add icons to the taskbar and open links supported by the app. Other features, such as uninstalling PWAs from the operating system's preferences, may or may not be introduced.

While the initial implementation may not be as comprehensive as that of Chromium-based browsers, it at least adds basic support for web apps in Firefox. As with any new feature, it's unclear when Taskbar Tabs will roll out to users, but one thing is certain - the future of swift app development in Firefox looks promising.

Now it's your turn! Do you use Progressive Web Apps already? Are they a game-changer or do you not really need them? Share your thoughts in the comments below.