LGTM1 I read through some of the long debates on this API. From an API owner perspective, I believe all requirements have been met: spec, tests, developer feedback and needs assessment, feedback from other browser vendors. Certainly this API seems likely to be Chromium-only for the foreseeable future, but that is nothing new when it comes to advanced web app capabilities. If we can't even agree on whether WebBluetooth belongs on the web, then I don't expect us to agree on this either, but like Web Bluetooth, it's a progressive enhancement so the downside of lack of interoperability is well managed. Thank you for all the long and thoughtful engagement in public discussion and debate, I personally believe the API owners' bar is now well cleared (though other API owners may still disagree, of course).
I personally have some concerns about the potential for annoying users and am adamant that we not repeat the push notification permission disaster, but those are Google Chrome UI concerns and are not subject to the API owners' process; they can reasonably be expected to differ across Chromium embedders. I will follow up internally on those concerns specific to Google Chrome's feature launch process. The potential mitigation suggested in the explainer than only installed apps can install other apps would entirely adddress my concern, and I'm sure there are other (less dramatic) ways to do so as well. Rick On Mon, Sep 21, 2026 at 11:38 AM 'Lia Hiscock' via blink-dev < [email protected]> wrote: > *Contact emails* > > [email protected], [email protected] > > *Explainer* > > https://aka.ms/webinstall > > *Specification* > > https://wicg.github.io/install-element > > *Design docs* > > https://docs.google.com/document/d/12nSXJLm8mW0gWZ_yjlXfrV8r9gwJliVt4WVa-209-KA/edit?tab=t.0 > > *Summary* > > Triggers a request for the browser to install a web app, given a manifest > URL and optional manifest ID. The navigator.install() method enables > cross-origin web app installation and provides a better developer > experience than handling beforeinstallprompt events. This API is proposed > to ship together with the <install> element, a declarative entry point to > the same installation capability: > https://chromestatus.com/feature/5152834368700416. > > > > Enterprises can control this in two ways - (1) Enterprise policy, > WebAppInstallByUserEnabled, can disable user web app installs broadly, > including installs initiated via navigator.install() and <install>. Or (2) > Permissions Policy, web-app-installation, can allow or disallow use of this > feature on origins the enterprise controls (for example, internal > sites/iframes). > > *Blink component* > > Blink>AppManifest > <https://issues.chromium.org/issues?q=customfield1222907:%22Blink%3EAppManifest%22> > > *Web Feature ID* > > navigator-install <https://webstatus.dev/features/navigator-install> > > *Motivation* > > The web currently lacks the ability for a site to offer installation of a > web app identified by a cross-origin manifest. Limited support exists for > eligible same-origin web apps via ambient installation affordances and the > beforeinstallprompt event. However, the existent browser-provided entry > points are difficult for developers to use and users to discover. > > > > This capability lets developers distribute web apps across the web without > proprietary protocols or platform-specific stores. It brings web app > distribution closer to the reach developers expect from other application > models while preserving browser-controlled safeguards and explicit user > choice. > > > > *Initial public proposal* > > https://aka.ms/webinstall > > *Search tags* > > web install <https://chromestatus.com/features#tags:web%20install>, > install <https://chromestatus.com/features#tags:install>, > webappinstallation > <https://chromestatus.com/features#tags:webappinstallation>, webinstallapi > <https://chromestatus.com/features#tags:webinstallapi> > > *TAG review* > > https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/1245 > > > > *TAG review status* > > Issues open > > > > Review was requested two months ago with updates addressing concerns > raised in the earlier design review: > https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/1051. The TAG has not yet > provided substantive feedback on the updated API shape or design. A recent > TAG meeting agreed to develop a finding about the broader capability of web > app installation and prompting. That work remains open, and we will > continue participating in it. > > > > *Origin Trial Name* > > WebAppInstallation > > *Chromium Trial Name* > > WebAppInstallation > > *Link to origin trial feedback summary* > > > https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B21htNQFmhEhhIpnIU7z_jOeH9wEF1Hz9XSKlMWW3a0/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0 > > > *Origin Trial documentation link* > > Demos/pwa-install-api/README.md at main · MicrosoftEdge/Demos > <https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/Demos/blob/main/pwa-install-api/README.md> > > *WebFeature UseCounter name* > > WebDXFeature::navigator-install > > *Risks* > > > > *Interoperability and Compatibility* > > These are additive entry points to web app installation, a capability > browsers already provide through browser-controlled UI. The primary > interoperability risk is uneven cross-browser availability rather than > conflicting behavior for existing content: other engines have not committed > to these entry points, and WebKit opposes site-initiated web app > installation. > > > WebKit opposes these entry points because it considers installation a user > decision whose flow should begin in browser UI. We acknowledge this > substantive difference in approach. However, origin-trial partners, public > developer reports, and standards discussions consistently identified > existing web app installation as difficult for users to discover and > cumbersome for developers to offer. Developers expressed strong support for > a direct and predictable installation path while retaining > browser-controlled confirmation UI and existing installability requirements. > > > > Our designs preserve browser control over installation through required > user activation, explicit consent in browser-controlled UI, and the user > agent’s ability to suppress the flow. The <install> element further > provides user-agent-controlled rendering. Detailed abuse, privacy, and > security protections are described in our explainer and our TAG review > request. Given those safeguards and the demonstrated developer and user > need, we believe shipping in Chromium is appropriate while standards > discussions continue. > > > > *Gecko*: No signal ( > https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/1179) > > *WebKit*: Oppose (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 > > *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* > > Security considerations - > https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/main/WebInstall/explainer.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?* > > N/A > > > > *Debuggability* > > Existing DevTools support for promise-based JavaScript APIs applies. In > addition to the generic DataError rejection, Web Install failures for > eligible same-origin manifests are reported in the Issues panel using > bounded failure categories, such as manifest fetch or parse failure, > invalid start_url, and missing required fields. This provides diagnostics > for browser-process manifest fetches that are not visible in the Network > panel. Cross-origin and internal failure details are not reported. See > Debuggability doc - > https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rGvLhD4SR8Y9M1wVmqgyesPNkbZGU7HOqlttjEFJ5Vo/edit?tab=t.i3gxb63o1ngb > > *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 > The API's shape and activation restrictions are tested - > https://wpt.fyi/results/web-install. However, web app installs are > currently not supported by automated tests, as they require user > interaction to confirm the installation. Manual web app testing > instructions can be published. > > *DevTrial instructions* > > https://microsoftedge.github.io/Demos/pwa-install-api/ > > *Flag name on about://flags* > > web-app-installation-api > > *Finch feature name* > > WebAppInstallation > > *Rollout plan* > > Will ship enabled for all users > > *Requires code in //chrome?* > > False > > *Tracking bug* > > https://issues.chromium.org/issues/333795265 > > *Launch bug* > > https://launch.corp.google.com/launch/4495880 > > *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. > > *Availability expectation* > > Feature is available only in Chromium browsers for the foreseeable future. > > *Adoption expectation* > > Feature is used by specific partner(s) to provide functionality within 12 > months of launch in Chrome. > > *Adoption plan* > > We are in communication with partners. We plan to post an update on > developer.chrome.com and blogs.windows.com, and add AI guidance for Web > Install to github.com/GoogleChrome/modern-web-guidance. > > *Non-OSS dependencies* > > *Does the feature depend on any code or APIs outside the Chromium open > source repository and its open-source dependencies to function?* > > No. > > *Estimated milestones* > > Shipping on desktop > > 156 > > Origin trial desktop first > > 143 > > Origin trial desktop last > > 148 > > Origin trial extension 1 end milestone > > 150 > > Origin trial extension 2 end milestone > > 150 > > DevTrial on desktop > > 139 > > > > *Anticipated spec changes* > > *Open questions about a feature may be a source of future web compat or > interop issues. Please list open issues (e.g. links to known github issues > in the project for the feature specification) whose resolution may > introduce web compat/interop risk (e.g., changing to naming or structure of > the API in a non-backward-compatible way).* > > N/A > > *Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status* > > https://chromestatus.com/feature/5183481574850560?gate=5120761429229568 > > *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 > Intent to Experiment: > https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/blink-dev/c/KCpVX8F6yh8/m/Fbs3p4PdAwAJ > Intent to Extend Experiment 2: > https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH3PR00MB267356EB5428C4233B819ECFD35EA%40CH3PR00MB2673.namprd00.prod.outlook.com > > This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status > <https://chromestatus.com/>. > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "blink-dev" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH4PR00MB26595E5F1D84E916BDB48773D3842%40CH4PR00MB2659.namprd00.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH4PR00MB26595E5F1D84E916BDB48773D3842%40CH4PR00MB2659.namprd00.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "blink-dev" group. 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