Once the user installs your PWA, it will:
- Have an icon in the launcher, home screen, start menu, or launchpad.
- Appear as a result when a user searches for the app on their device.
- Have a separate window within the operating system.
- Have support for specific capabilities.
Installation criteria
Every browser has a criterion that marks when a website or web app is a Progressive Web App and can be installed for a standalone experience. The metadata for your PWA is set by a JSON-based file known as the Web App Manifest, which we will cover in detail in the next module.
As a minimum requirement for installability, most browsers that support it use the Web App Manifest file and certain properties such as the name of the app, and configuration of the installed experience. An exception to this is Safari for macOS, which does not support installability.
The requirements to allow installation differ among the different browsers, this article details the criteria for Google Chrome and includes links to requirements for other browsers. Users can install your web app even if it doesn't meet the installability criteria in Chrome. Check out How Chrome helps users install the apps they value to learn more.
Because the test that a PWA meets installability requirements can take several seconds, installability itself may not be available as soon as a URLs response is received.
Desktop installation
Desktop PWA installation is currently supported by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on Linux, Windows, macOS, and Chromebooks. These browsers will show an install badge (icon) in the URL bar (see the image below), stating that the current site is installable.