2D PWAs behave similarly to the website’s appearance in browser, but launch as a standalone app separate from the browser. Below are specific customizations and expectations for 2D PWAs.

PWAs launch as single-instance, standalone applications with their own entry in the Library. By default, there is no tab or navigation bar on the panel, and the website data and cookies are shared between the Browser and the application.

Out of scope links will open in the PWA by default unless specified to open in a new tab or window, in which case they will open in the regular browser.

The theme color is used when a user is outside the scope of the main application. The color value will be theme_color or theme_color_dark depending on the system theme and will only affect the custom tab bar on the panel.

Any site that you would like to remain “in-scope” for the PWA should be specified in the PWA manifest under “additional_trusted_origins”. These additional sites must have the digital fingerprint file (/.well-known/assetlinks.json) that is hosted on your main website and will be treated the same as the main website.

For all media needs, PWA media capabilities match those of the Browser.

Once you have set up and hosted your web app manifest, check out the PWA Packaging page to build your installable application.