Hello.

I am Paul Kinlan.

I lead the Chrome and the Open Web Developer Relations team at Google.

Using Service Worker for server-side adaption based on network type

Reading time: 3 minutes

On the web determining and adapting to network type the user is on is incredibly hard. Until now. Read More

I lead the Chrome Developer Relations team at Google.

We want people to have the best experience possible on the web without having to install a native app or produce content in a walled garden.

Our team tries to make it easier for developers to build on the web by supporting every Chrome release, creating great content to support developers on web.dev, contributing to MDN, helping to improve browser compatibility, and some of the best developer tools like Lighthouse, Workbox, Squoosh to name just a few.

I love to learn about what you are building, and how I can help with Chrome or Web development in general, so if you want to chat with me directly, please feel free to book a consultation.

I'm trialing a newsletter, you can subscribe below (thank you!)

The Web in India: Anecdote 3 - 2G is still massive

Reading time: 3 minutes

I learnt a lot of things in India. 3: 2G is still a big thing and web developers can't do anything about it Read More

The Web in India: Anecdote 2 - UC Browser is getting in front of users

Reading time: 2 minutes

I learnt a lot of things in India. 2: UC Browser is trying to be the browser for the region Read More

The Web in India: Anecdote 1 - Proxy browsers don't work

Reading time: 2 minutes

I learnt a lot of things in India. 1: Proxy browsers don't work Read More

Working out what DNS to prefetch

Reading time: 1 minute

I love (actual love) the `window.performance` API. Use it to help speed up your site. Read More

Deep Web App Linking

Reading time: 4 minutes

I'm still passionate about making web apps easily discoverable and interlinked, even though Web Intents didn't take off as I'd hoped. We web developers boast about the power of the URL, but we're not leveraging it effectively for inter-app linking, which is hindering the web's potential. Recent experiences building a QR code reader and seeing how other apps integrate them highlighted this issue. The web's strength is its zero-install nature, allowing instant access to functionality. However, many web apps erect barriers like landing pages and login forms, negating this advantage. These barriers act like app store install pages, killing the linkability and ease of use that makes the web great. While capturing user data is important, we need to prioritize frictionless usage, perhaps by adopting concepts like "tourist" or "shadow" user accounts. Native apps are exploring app constellations, while we on the web already have the tools but aren't utilizing them effectively. We must allow users instant access if we want truly linkable web apps. Read More

SLICE: The Web

Reading time: 6 minutes

What are the properties that make the web the web? How can we keep differentiating from native to stay relevant in a mobile world? Read More

Goodbye Jekyll, Hello Hugo

Reading time: 3 minutes

Ruby frustrations and performance have frustrated me for a long time. Experimented with Hugo and ported blog in about 3 hours Read More

Deep App linking and changes to Chrome on Android

Reading time: 7 minutes

Deep App Links: Changes have come to Chrome and this is my summary of what's happened, why and how to manage the change Read More

Parsing the screenshot that Chrome for Android includes via ACTION_SEND intent

Reading time: 3 minutes

When you share a link from Chrome, you can also get a screenshot using a couple of Intent Extras Read More

Imperative Content Security Policy with Service Worker

Reading time: 1 minute

Some quick thoughts about not using CSP when you have a Service Worker. Read More

Detecting injected content from third-parties on your site

Reading time: 7 minutes

Do you know if any ISP's are injecting Ads or anything else in to your site? No. I thought not. Read More

Weekly Web Development links

Reading time: 2 minutes

A weekly run-down of some interesting things that I have found Read More

The discovery problem.

Reading time: 4 minutes

Does the discovery problem of app stores, search and everywhere else only affect those who don't or can't market? Read More

Weekly Web Development links number 5

Reading time: 2 minutes

A weekly run-down for Feb Read More

Eye-dropper in Chrome Devtools for quickly picking colors from the web page

Reading time: 1 minute

TIL: Use eye dropper directly on the web page. Read More

What happened to Web Intents?

Reading time: 11 minutes

TL;DR It's a long story; I learnt a lot. Read More

2 Factor Auth for physical transactions with Service Worker and Push Notifications

Reading time: 2 minutes

Is it possible to build a 2 factor authentication system on the web? I think it is. Read More

Walking, talking and ideas for web apps

Reading time: 5 minutes

How do you find ideas for web apps and why is it important to build apps that push the platform? Read More

The future of communications apps is on the web

Reading time: 5 minutes

It might be a hard sell, but there are number of advantages to using the web. Read More