Chrome Web App

Posted By admin  On 01.05.21



How Chrome handles updates to the web app manifest

Apps and extensions for your domain are curated and managed by your organization’s admin and are visible only to users within your organization. Chrome Web Store. Chrome Web Store Gems of 2020. Extensions that kept us productive and entertained at home. Schedule Zoom meetings directly from Google Calendar. Chrome browser and the Chrome Web Store will continue to support extensions. Read the announcement and learn more about migrating your app. Every app has a JSON -formatted manifest file, named manifest.json, that provides important information.

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When a PWA is installed, the browser uses information from the web app manifest for the app name, the icons the app should use, and the URL that should be opened when the app is launched. But what if you need to update app shortcuts or try a new theme color? When and how are those changes reflected in the browser?

Caution: Do not change the name or location of your web app manifest file, doing so may prevent the browser from updating your PWA.

In most cases, changes should be reflected within a day or two of the PWA being launched, after the manifest has been updated.

Updates on desktop Chrome #

When the PWA is launched, or opened in a browser tab, Chrome determines the last time the local manifest was checked for changes. If the manifest hasn't been checked since the browser last started, or it hasn't been checked in the last 24 hours, Chrome will make a network request for the manifest, then compare it against the local copy.

If select properties in the manifest have changed (see list below), Chrome queues the new manifest, and after all windows have been closed, installs it. Once installed, all fields from the new manifest (except name, short_name, start_url and icons) are updated.

Which properties will trigger an update? #

  • display (see below)
  • scope
  • shortcuts
  • theme_color

Caution: Changes to name, short_name, icons and start_url are not currently supported on desktop Chrome, though work is underway to support them.

What happens when the display field is updated? #

If you update your app's display mode from browser to standalone your existing users will not have their apps open in a window after updating. There are two display settings for a web app, the one from the manifest (that you control) and a window/browser tab setting controlled by the user. The user preference is always respected.

Testing manifest updates #

App

The chrome://internals/web-app page (available in Chrome 85 or later), includes detailed information about all of the PWAs installed on the device, and can help you understand when the manifest was last updated, how often it's updated, and more.

To manually force Chrome to check for an updated manifest, restart Chrome (use chrome://restart), this resets the timer so that Chrome will check for an updated manifest when the PWA is next launched. Then launch the PWA. After closing the PWA, it should be updated with the new manifest properties.

References #

Updates on Chrome for Android #

When the PWA is launched, Chrome determines the last time the local manifest was checked for changes. If the manifest hasn't been checked in the last 24 hours, Chrome will schedule a network request for the manifest, then compare it against the local copy.

Chrome Web Apps Android

If select properties in the manifest have changed (see list below), Chrome queues the new manifest, and after all windows of the PWA have been closed, the device is plugged in, and connected to WiFi, Chrome requests an updated WebAPK from the server. Once updated, all fields from the new manifest are used.

Which properties will trigger an update? #

  • background_color
  • display
  • orientation
  • scope
  • shortcuts
  • start_url
  • theme_color
  • web_share_target

If Chrome is unable to get an updated manifest from the server, it may increase the time between checks to 30 days.

Google Chrome Store

Caution: Changes to name, short_name and icons are not currently supported on Android Chrome, though work is underway to support them.

Testing manifest updates #

The chrome://webapks page includes detailed information about all of the PWAs installed on the device, and can tell you when the manifest was last updated, how often it's updated, and more.

To manually schedule an update to the manifest, overriding the timer and local manifest do the following:

  1. Plug in the device and ensure it's connected to WiFi.
  2. Use the Android task manager to shut down the PWA, then use the App panel in Android settings to force stop the PWA.
  3. In Chrome, open chrome://webapks and click the 'Update' button for the PWA. 'Update Status' should change to 'Pending'.
  4. Launch the PWA, and verify it's loaded properly.
  5. Use the Android task manager to shut down the PWA, then use the App panel in Android settings to force stop the PWA.

The PWA usually updates within a few minutes, once the update has completed, 'Update Status' should change to 'Successful'

Chrome Web App Store

References #

Chrome Web App Install

  • UpdateReason enum for Chrome on Android

Play Store Chrome

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