Don't treat Chrome webstore apps as Chrome browser instances

[osdiab]

I installed the Signal Private Messenger desktop client, which is a Chrome Webstore App. I frequently switch to it to message people, by searching for Signal on Alfred—this works correctly, I see the app and can select it.

 

However, when I search for Chrome in Alfred and hit enter, rather than focusing on Chrome app, the computer focuses on Signal; this is annoying because I often use Alfred to change focus between apps on different Mac Spaces, but since Signal is treated as an instance of Chrome, it receives focus instead of an actual browser window.

 

Please let me know if there's any way to disambiguate between the Chrome browser instance and a Chrome Webstore App instance! This is messing with my workflow.

[deanishe]

I don't think there's much Alfred can do about that. It just says, "hey Chrome, take focus!" It's Chrome that's focussing the wrong window.

[osdiab]

There are differentiating features—Apple itself displays the webstore app as a separate application on the dock with its own title. Internally it may be invoked via Chrome, but it would be nice if Alfred could do that differentiation against installed Chrome webstore apps out of the box.

[osdiab]

In fact, it appears Chrome Webstore Apps are stored under ~/Applications/Chrome Apps/<appname>.app 

[osdiab]

That said maybe I'll float this in the Chrome feature request channels then, thanks!