Drives me nuts that even just websites, like Reddit, push so hard to get you to install their app.
I think it is not primarily related to notifications and telemetry, although that's obviously part of it, or to access to your contacts or whatever, like in the case of FB. My theory is that it's much simpler and dumber than that: that "number of app installs" has simply become a metric that managers can use to promote themselves inside a company, and that companies can ultimately use to sell shares. It's an engagement metric, and since there is no metric for "home screen bookmarks made", there is no way for companies and managers to gamify the web site. Therefore, they simply don't care about the website, except as a means to get you to install the app. It's all a bullshit numbers game.
I think it is not primarily related to notifications and telemetry, although that's obviously part of it, or to access to your contacts or whatever, like in the case of FB. My theory is that it's much simpler and dumber than that: that "number of app installs" has simply become a metric that managers can use to promote themselves inside a company, and that companies can ultimately use to sell shares. It's an engagement metric, and since there is no metric for "home screen bookmarks made", there is no way for companies and managers to gamify the web site. Therefore, they simply don't care about the website, except as a means to get you to install the app. It's all a bullshit numbers game.