Physical Web

Physical Web is a technology used to enable faster and seamless interaction with nearby IoT devices. It reveals the list of URLs being broadcast by nearby devices with BLE beacons.

It was an effort by Google to extend the web's core feature—the URL—to everyday physical objects like vending machines, posters, toys, bus stops, and rental cars.

How It Worked

The Physical Web created an open ecosystem where smart devices could broadcast URLs into the surrounding area, which nearby displays like phones or tablets could detect and offer to users. The concept was simple: you could walk up to any device and interact with it without installing an application first, with every smart device linking to a web page for simple information or more complex interactions.

Current Status

It's important to note that the Physical Web project has been discontinued. Launched in 2014, Google's Physical Web project died quietly, with the technology being discontinued. The project faced various challenges that ultimately led to its discontinuation.

Legacy

While Google's Physical Web is no longer actively supported, the underlying beacon technology and concepts continue to influence how we think about connecting physical objects to digital experiences. Some similar technologies and approaches have emerged since then, though the specific Physical Web implementation is no longer maintained.