diff --git a/app/assets/images/branding/apple-splash.png b/app/assets/images/branding/apple-splash.png
deleted file mode 100644
index 8ba65c01d..000000000
Binary files a/app/assets/images/branding/apple-splash.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/app/controllers/manifest_controller.rb b/app/controllers/manifest_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf6f5c417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/manifest_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class ManifestController < ApplicationController
+  def show
+    render json: '{
+      "short_name": "diaspora*",
+      "name": "diaspora*",
+      "description": "diaspora* is a free, decentralized and privacy respectful social network",
+      "icons": [
+        {
+          "src": "/icon.png",
+          "type": "image/png",
+          "sizes": "192x192"
+        }
+      ],
+      "start_url": "/",
+      "background_color": "#000000",
+      "display": "standalone",
+      "theme_color": "#000000"
+    }'
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/views/application/_head.haml b/app/views/layouts/_head.haml
similarity index 92%
rename from app/views/application/_head.haml
rename to app/views/layouts/_head.haml
index c8587e9d5..fcb5eba56 100644
--- a/app/views/application/_head.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/_head.haml
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 %meta{charset: "utf-8"}/
 = content_for?(:meta_data) ? yield(:meta_data) : metas_tags
 
-%meta{content: "yes", name: "mobile-web-app-capable"}/
-
 / favicon
 / For Apple devices
 %link{rel: "apple-touch-icon", href: image_path("apple-touch-icon.png")}
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
index a50e428aa..63decb11f 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       = load_javascript_locales
 
     = include_color_theme
-    = render "head"
+    = render "layouts/head"
     = translation_missing_warnings
 
   %body{class: "page-#{controller_name} action-#{action_name}"}
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml b/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml
index 233122575..7c57b496d 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.mobile.haml
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@
     %meta{name: "MobileOptimized", content: "320"}/
     %meta{"http-equiv" => "cleartype", :content => "on"}/
 
-    / iOS mobile web app indicator
-    / NOTE(we will enable these once we don't have to rely on back/forward buttons anymore)
-    /%meta{:name => "apple-mobile-web-app-capable", :content => "yes"}
-    /%link{:rel => "apple-touch-startup-image", :href => "/images/apple-splash.png"}
-
   %body
     #app
       = render "layouts/header"
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 873299b9a..7f1e36102 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -239,4 +239,5 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
   end
 
   get ".well-known/openid-configuration", to: "api/openid_connect/discovery#configuration"
+  get "manifest.json", to: "manifest#show"
 end