Save computer memory by turning your browser into an operating system

Today, many people spend a lot of time doing calculations in web browsers—whether it’s streaming movies and music, editing spreadsheets, or posting to social media. There are only a few cases where desktop applications are essential.

To take advantage of this modern way of working, you can use your browser as an operating system in Windows or macOS. We mean using web applications and setting their shortcuts in your browser, just like you set up programs in your operating system.

Simply make some tweaks to your browser of choice, and maybe use third-party tools or extensions to help you, and you will use your browser more intuitively and efficiently than ever before.

Browser Functions

In Google Chrome, you can access your web application by typing chrome://apps in the browser bar—pin this tab for easy access. Another quick way to access them is to click on three dots (top right corner), then click on Bookmarks and to show the bookmark bar - right-click this bar and make sure is selected to show Application shortcut .

To add a website (such as Gmail or Spotify) so that it appears in this application list, open the relevant website and click on the three dots (top right corner), More tools and Create shortcut . Once the app enters the application page, you can right-click it to delete it or make it automatically start when Chrome starts.

[Related: 10 Hidden Google Chrome Settings You Need to Turn on]

Chrome allows you to drag app shortcuts to sort them in the order you want, and you can even set up multiple app pages if you want. To move the application to a different page, click and drag it onto one of the arrows on the left or right of the browser window—if there is no additional page, Chrome will create one for you.

Chrome is the most comprehensive browser in allowing you to create web application shortcuts and use them more as a standalone operating system—perhaps because Google’s browser was developed at the same time as Chrome OS . However, similar options are available in other popular browsers.

Microsoft Edge is built on the same code, so it works very similarly to Chrome: Type edge://apps in the address bar to view your application. Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser interface, and select Applications . You will be able to install the website you are currently viewing as an application, as well as manage other tools you previously installed. Alternatively, you can save the website as a favorite (via the star icon on the address bar) and keep the Favorites pane open.

Firefox itself does not have web application management tools, but you can use bookmarks instead by clicking the star icon in the address bar to save the website. You can also set web application shortcuts from the new tab: Click the gear icon (top right corner) on the new tab to select the number of shortcuts to display. Then, click the three dots on any shortcut to point it to the website of your choice.

Safari operates in a similar way to Firefox, where you can save your website in some dock or Start menu format using an integrated bookmarking system. Think of the new tab as your application launcher: Click the slider icon (bottom right corner) to make sure your bookmark appears at the top, then right-click any of them and select Rename and Edit address to point it to your favorite web application.

Third-party tools

A variety of third-party tools and extensions will happily customize your browser to make it more independent and more operating system-like. For example, Chrome's uTab provides a fully customizable dashboard and launcher that you can adjust as you want - you can set as many app shortcuts as you like and search the network directly from a unified interface.

Many extensions will handle application management for you. Firefox's Tab Session Manager is a great example, and once installed, it allows you to save tabs as groups, save them in the background in case of accidental closing, and sync them between multiple computers. The purpose is to allow you to manage tabs more like managing windows in a desktop operating system.

One of the best software we've seen in this regard is Sidekick, which is actually a separate browser—more precise, a browser built on the same code as Chrome and Edge. Its task is to help you work in the application rather than in the tabs, so it's similar to what we mentioned above, but with some extra features.

[Related: 5 browser extensions to prevent you from drowning in tabs]

After installing Sidekick, you will be able to select the web application you want to access in the left sidebar. Click the (plus) button to add another shortcut, or right-click the existing shortcut to edit it. You can even customize different accounts for services like Slack, Gmail, and WhatsApp.

Open Sidekick in a new tab and you will get a comprehensive launcher page with all the web applications you set up. This page will also contain links to documents you created on the network, such as a list of recent files you can see in Windows or macOS. As you might expect, you can customize and personalize all of this – just click the gear icon on the toolbar to view the options.

There is more to be explored in Sidekick. For example, click the magnifying glass icon on the sidebar to launch the Global Search tool, which allows you to view all network history, documents, applications, and contacts at the same time. You can also manage multiple sessions, allowing you to separate personal browsing from work browsing. To do this, click the icon above the Settings gear icon - it will display the letter of the current session name.

If you don't need more than 10 apps, you can use Sidekick for free. To install an unlimited number of apps, access to advanced support, special split view mode, and several other features, you can get an upgrade starting at $8 per month.

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