Can phonegap just display my mobile website in an embedded browser?

Question

I have a website built in django, its responsive so works from 320px to 960px.

I've noticed when i tell people the first thing they do is go to their native app-stores and search for the "site" when that fails they then go for good old google...

So i want to build native versions of the site but there will be no extra functionality.. they are just like convenient "bookmarks" which exist inside app-stores and on the mobile desktops of users instead of the WWW.

Given i don't want any extra native functionality can I just use phonegap and embed my whole site in a browser window?

I'd much rather do that than start from scratch, convert the site to an API and built templates/assets into phonegap.

Cheers,

Asim.

Answer 1

This depends: Apple won't let you upload an app where the UI has to be loaded from a remote server.

So for the app store you need to have some presentation logic on the client.

In general: If you don't use a local html file you won't be able to use phonegap functionality (like the camera), but your "app" should run fine if you whitelist your server. But this app won`t be a first class citizen because you always have to online and you will feel a slow connection in the responsiveness of your "app".

Answer 2

You can do it - whether or not Apple will let you do it is up for debate...

This blog post details 3 different approaches to building an app that wraps a website:

• Option 1 - Package your website inside the app
• Option 2 - launch your external website inside the app
• Option 3 - launch your external website but fail back to local version

and as an additional note, you can access plugins that are installed in your app (e.g. geolocation) while on the external site... if the external site is in your whitelisted sites list).

Answer 3

Yes, you have to:

1. go to https://build.phonegap.com/
2. create an account
3. upload the source files of your mobile website and make an app

Note: make sure hydration is off!

Answer 4

If you just want to make an android app from your website,then try
http://www.appsgeyser.com/

If you want to do this in phonegap,then copy the website files into assets folder of your phonegap project and build.