Google Tests Web Install API to Let You Add Web Apps in Any Browser
Google is testing a new feature called the Web Install API that could change how users add web apps. The feature is developed with help from Microsoft Edge engineers as part of continued Chromium collaboration. It allows websites to install Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) directly from a page instead of depending on browser prompts or app stores.
Google has started to test the Web Install API, a new standard that could let users install web apps across different browsers. The company also shared details about the experiment on GitHub, which confirms the next stage of the test.
What the Web Install API Does
The Web Install API lets a website install its own web app or one from another site. It enables installation directly from web content. App catalogs and directories can include install buttons that let users add web apps across desktop browsers.
The browser always asks for confirmation before an app installs, and websites cannot install unsafe or unlisted content.
When visiting a supported website, you may see a small prompt offering to install a web app. The process looks similar to the existing install experience in Chrome, but it also works on trusted third-party sites such as app directories. Each install still requires your approval.
Cross-Browser Support
The Web Install API is being developed as a shared web standard with input from both the Chrome and Microsoft Edge teams. It currently works in desktop versions of Chrome and Edge and is planned for Android later. Firefox and Safari have not yet added support, but they are part of ongoing discussions in web standards groups.
How to Try It
You can try the feature in Chrome or Edge version 139 or higher by enabling the “Web App Installation API” flag in the browser’s settings.
After that, you can test it on demo pages such as:
Microsoft Edge Web App Store demo
The Web Install API could make web apps easier to discover and install across browsers. It reduces dependence on app stores and gives users more control over how and where they install apps.
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