Users increasingly resist forced downloads as sites battle app‑centric pushback. The author, a habitual web‑browser, laments modal windows, pop‑ups, and header banners that demand App Store installs. By forcing a native shell, companies trade a frictionless experience for a captive audience and higher download metrics.

App designers justify the shift with promises of a richer UI, yet most apps merely wrap JSON feeds in native views. The result? Users must download hefty 100‑plus‑MB packages, grant location rights, and endure background processes for trivial tasks across different platforms without noticeable performance benefits today.

Technical hiccups amplify the frustration. Early Flutter releases suffered iOS shader compilation delays, forcing developers to ship pre‑compiled assets. Even after switching to Skia’s Impeller engine, subtle timing mismatches—slow scrolls, lagged gestures—persist, turning a native façade into an uncanny valley that betrays users’ expectations for developers who seek smooth experience in mobile apps today and users.

The cycle closes when a site’s web version is throttled to funnel users into the app, where they become locked in a feed of ads unblocked by browsers. This “enshittification” loop prioritizes App Store downloads over user experience, leaving web‑centric consumers with fewer options and diminished control in today's digital economy where choices matter and freedom exists.