Hello,
Could you please clarify which milestones you're requesting, and update
chromestatus accordingly?
(i.e., your chromestatus entry only lists 144 as the OT desktop start,
and has nothing for the OT desk end milestone).
thanks,
Mike
On 10/29/25 11:33 a.m., 'Lia Hiscock' via blink-dev wrote:
*Contact emails*[email protected], [email protected]
*Explainer*
https://aka.ms/webinstall
*Specification*
https://github.com/w3c/manifest/pull/1175
*Design docs*
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12nSXJLm8mW0gWZ_yjlXfrV8r9gwJliVt4WVa-209-KA/edit?tab=t.0
*Summary*
Allows a website to install a web app. The API provides 3 signatures,
with 0, 1, and 2 parameters, respectively. When invoked, the website
installs either itself, or another site from a different origin, as a
web app (depending on the provided parameters). All 3 signatures will
be experimented with in parallel.
*Terminology - A site installing itself is a "current document
install". A site installing another site is a "background document
install".
*Blink component*
Blink>AppManifest
<https://issues.chromium.org/issues?q=customfield1222907:%22Blink%3EAppManifest%22>
*Web Feature ID*
web-install <https://webstatus.dev/features/web-install>
*Search tags*
web install <https://chromestatus.com/features#tags:web%20install>,
install <https://chromestatus.com/features#tags:install>
*TAG review*
https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/1051 (Although this is
technically the early design review, we went through several rounds of
feedback from this that influenced the shape of the API significantly)
*TAG review status*
Issues open
*Origin Trial documentation link*
https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/main/WebInstall/explainer.md
*Risks*
*Interoperability and Compatibility*
Interop - Low risk.
This is a new API that installs web apps, which are supported by other
browsers. The no argument version of the API (installs the current
document) has enough support to be merged into the W3C web app
manifest spec - https://github.com/w3c/manifest/pull/1175. It has also
been reviewed favorably by TAG -
https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/1051.
While the argument versions of the API (installing a document in the
background) are still under discussion in WICG, we have no reason to
believe there will be interop risk with these additions.
Compatibility - Low risk.
This is a new API that requires explicit developer action to use.
/Gecko/: No
signal (https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/1179)
/WebKit/: No
signal (https://github.com/WebKit/standards-positions/issues/463)
/Web developers/:
Positive (https://github.com/w3ctag/ethical-web-principles/issues/120#issuecomment-2285348765)
https://github.com/w3ctag/ethical-web-principles/issues/120#issuecomment-2285431557
/Other signals/: pwastore.io -
https://www.reddit.com/r/PWA/comments/1o1excp/comment/niit2jh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
<https://www.reddit.com/r/PWA/comments/1o1excp/comment/niit2jh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button>
*Ergonomics*
This could be used in conjunction with the
navigator.getInstalledRelatedApps API, which tells a developer if any
related web apps are installed for their site, before attempting to
install with navigator.install. There is overlap between
navigator.install and the BeforeInstallPrompt event. navigator.install
is more ergonomic, and we think developers will prefer its declarative
install. See this thread -
https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/issues/1055
*Activation*
No activation risks. It should be relatively easy for developers to
take advantage of this feature immediately, as-is. The API was
designed with ergonomics in mind, and we have four places with
instructions for developers (two test sites, the explainer itself, and
a Developer Trial README)
*Security*
See security considerations for both current document and background
document functionality - current document -
https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/main/WebInstall/explainer-current-doc.md#accessibility-privacy-and-security-considerations background
document -
https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/main/WebInstall/explainer-background-doc.md#accessibility-privacy-and-security-considerations
*WebView application risks*
/Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such
that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?/
/No information provided/
*Goals for experimentation*
We are looking to answer the following questions about the current API
surface with this experiment to aid in further developments of the
feature. We’ve added 2 new UKMs and 2 UMAs, in addition to preexisting
web app/permissions metrics, to help in answering these questions
during the experiment.
1 - Is there evidence of abuse or annoyance in the API's prompt
surfaces (permission and installation)?
metric(s) - App installation rate per origin; Permissions metrics,
such as rate of prompt denial, or permission disablement in site
settings.
2 - Is there a spike in uninstallations, that would indicate user
regret, or lack of UX clarity?
metric(s) - Amount of apps uninstalled within 1 hour of installation.
3 - Do developers understand the manifest id requirements of the API?
metric(s) - Rate of DataErrors returned to the renderer.
4 - The API has 3 signatures, and can do 2 types of installations, as
well as app launches. Are developers understanding and effectively
using all signatures?
metric(s) - JS use counter data; success rate of both current and
background installs; CTR of app launch dialog.
*Ongoing technical constraints*
None
*Debuggability*
Existing DevTools support for promise-based JS APIs. No new DevTools
support is needed.
*Will this feature be supported on all six Blink platforms (Windows,
Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and Android WebView)?*
No
Windows, Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS will be shipped first. Android will
be supported later, due to significant technical deviation in the web
app ecosystem - https://issues.chromium.org/issues/424497410. As of
now, no plan to support Android WebView.
*Is this feature fully tested by * *web-platform-tests
<https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/main/docs/testing/web_platform_tests.md>**?*
No
Web app installs are not supported in WPT, but we will add a WPT
manual test.
*DevTrial instructions*
https://microsoftedge.github.io/Demos/pwa-web-install-api
*Flag name on about://flags*
web-app-installation-api
*Finch feature name*
WebAppInstallation
*Requires code in //chrome?*
False
*Tracking bug*
https://issues.chromium.org/issues/333795265
*Measurement*
We have a JavaScript UseCounter and WebDX feature -
https://chromestatus.com/metrics/webfeature/timeline/popularity/375 We
will also implement chromium UMAs and possibly UKMs for the API
service results.
*Estimated milestones*
Origin trial desktop first
144
DevTrial on desktop
139
*Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status*
https://chromestatus.com/feature/5183481574850560?gate=5098406862651392
*Links to previous Intent discussions*
Intent to Prototype:
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/DB9PR83MB05184F25E5FEE4595055FE34CC042%40DB9PR83MB0518.EURPRD83.prod.outlook.com
Ready for Trial:
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/blink-dev/c/ame_t7wN2cU
This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status
<https://chromestatus.com/>.
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