Chrome Progressive Web Apps on Android received a bottom sheet UI for rich installs sometime back last year. We also reported Chrome PWAs on desktop too will also get a new install dialog with screenshots and descriptions during installation. Google has made the necessary changes to the Chrome browser for apps to surface rich UI when the user clicks on the install icon in the address bar. Here is how you can enable and experience the PWAs new install dialog on the desktop.
Chrome and the new Micorsoft Edge support PWAs.
Unfortunately, Mozilla doesn’t, though still you can install PWAs in Firefox on the desktop.
So far, PWAs installed via Chrome and Edge can be configured to start automatically when the user logs in and recently Google made Chrome PWAs uninstallable from the Control Panel or Settings App in Windows 11/10
Certain supported PWAs can also enable Jumplists on the taskbar on Windows. Now a better install dialog will be displayed to the user in Chrome on the desktop.
Depending on the app you’re trying to install, Chrome may show more fields from the web app manifest in PWA install prompt.
For instance, if you take Twitter, when a user tries to get App, the intall dialog could display the publisher name, categories, and description with screenshots.
All the PWA developer needs to do is add screenshots and description members to manifest.
For you to understand the difference between present and new PWA install dialogs, we’re attaching the current install model below.
Enable a new detailed install dialog for PWAs in Chrome on desktop
- Open Chrome browser
- Visit chrome://flags
- Search for “install dialog”, in the dropdown for “Desktop PWAs Detailed Install Dialog, select Enabled
- Restart the browser.
- Launch Chrome by using the shortcut.
- Visit any site that is PWA, such as Twitter or Squoosh
- Click on the install icon in the address bar, then, you’ll notice a more detailed explanation about the App in the install prompt. The image carousel to follow with the next changelogs.OR
- Close Chrome browser if already open, right click on its dekstop shortcut
- Select Properties
- In the Target field, after chrome.exe” give space and add the following command line flag.
--enable-features=DesktopPWAsDetailedInstallDialog
As of now, install prompts don’t fully showcase images in a carousel view but rather display the description as you can check the Screenshot of Twitter we’ve shown above.
Upcoming CLs are expected to display ” screenshots in an image carousel view with left and right control button on top of image view”.
As of now, the feature can be tested n Chrome 106 canary.
Final words: Chrome is making desktop PWA install dialog better with screenshots and description, rather than with a simple install button.
What’s your take on Google’s aim to make Chrome for desktop’s PWA install dialog richer? Let us know in the comments below.
