Tangram for Linux is a Browser Built for Web Apps

For an ordered way to use your favourite web apps on Linux check out Tangram, a GTK-based web browser.

Oh, I know what you’re going to say: “Dude, I already have a web browser” — and for most people a regular web browser (like Firefox, Chrome, etc) is a solid way to use web apps on Linux desktops.

But what if you want to keep your web apps separate apps from the rest of your browsing?

Enter Tangram, an open-source GTK4/libadwaita app powered by the the same Webkit engine as GNOME Web (aka Epiphany). As such, pretty much all modern web content works in it.

Additionally, each ‘tab’ in Tangram is persistent and independent. This means you can have multiple versions of the same web service, site, or app open at the same time, and sign in to them with different accounts.

You can customise each ‘tab’ by giving it a custom name, setting a notification priority, and tweaking the URL. Advanced users can set a custom user-agent (sometimes necessary to access services that limit features or only work under “preferred” browsers).

The app has broad support for popular web-based services like Twitter, Mastodon, Fastmail, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp Web, Telegram, and more. You’re not limited to web apps either as add anything you can access from a regular browser will work in Tangram.

So yes: you can download files, and receive notifications (where supported) while using the app. A wide range of keyboard shortcuts are also available (press ctrl + ? to see a cheat-sheet of these).

GNOME Web also lets you create standalone site-specific browsers (SSBs). These work fine but each one you add will run in its own, and their apps launchers (if adding lots) fill up the Applications grid.

Tangram lets you group them together, and access them in one app. The convenient sidebar (which in older versions can be repositioned on either side, and at the top or bottom) makes switching between them super efficient.

In summary, Tangram is a great way to use web apps on the Linux desktop. It lets you group and manage web apps together, works with the majority of websites and online services, helps prevent cross-tracking, and has a streamlined UI that stays out of your way.

→ Get Tangram on Flathub