Re: [w3c/manifest] Way to detect if a web app is installed (Issue #1092)

DanielHerr left a comment (w3c/manifest#1092)

Personally, I am absolutely opposed to the current plan, because it **will** create broken user experiences. Some web developers will naively assume that `navigator.standalone` and `@media (installed: yes)` indicate whether the PWA is installed and will gate things like asking the user to install the PWA and things like enabling file handling or icon badging behind them.

Annoying:
1. user installs PWA
2. user pins PWA to shelf/tasbkar
3. user selects tab container (display: browser) from PWA icon context menu
4. user launches PWA via pinned shelf app icon
5. user gets asked to install the very same PWA they have just installed and pinned to their shelf

Broken experience - file handling:
1. user installs PWA
2. user selects tab container (display: browser) from PWA icon context menu
3. user launches PWA via a file handler
4. user waits for the PWA to access the file but nothing happens

Broken experience - icon badging:
1. user installs PWA
2. user launches PWA in standalone display mode
3. PWA sets badge on app icon
4. later, user selects tab container (display: browser) from PWA icon context menu
5. user launches PWA via app icon
6. badge doesn't update, such as still indicating unread messages after the user viewed them

I honestly don't see a major use case for detecting whether the PWA is running as a regular web browser tab as opposed to its own window, perhaps someone can reply with one. Regardless, the display mode the PWA is running in should absolutely be separate from detecting whether the PWA is installed.

-- 
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub:
https://github.com/w3c/manifest/issues/1092#issuecomment-2877756997
You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.

Message ID: <w3c/manifest/issues/1092/2877756997@github.com>