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I want to test a PWA using my desktop Chrome browser. I have enabled device emulation using the Developer Tools. But the app keeps asking me to add it to the homescreen and open it from there. How do I make it think it's been opened from the homescreen?

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HappyFace
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on Apple products you can only use Safari to install PWAs.

OSX there's a little button that will add it to the Apps folder.

On iOS you must open with safari and use the share > add to homescreen.

On windows it can be installed as a "chrome app" the button for that appears in Chrome address bar.

on any other device that is not apple you can use chrome to create your own installation experiences leveraging the 'beforeinstallprompt' event listener

Apples mistreatment of PWA is unfortunate, as of this writing they are facing a class action lawsuit over it. add to homescreen does install the PWA installation but the process/messaging has been made deliberately confusing.

Until that is resolved if there is an issue with customer education on apple devices the only real option is to wrap it up with something like electron or capacitor.

danielRicado
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  • "OSX there's a little button that will add it to the Apps folder." I don't see such a button in macOS Safari? Installing the PWA via chrome does not bypass the "Add to Homescreen" screen of the PWA. – HappyFace Aug 29 '23 at 07:39
  • 1 I'm sure you can manage to search on how to install a pwa via safari, 2 no idea what you're talknig about there is no way to bypass the add to homescreen/install chrome app process. – danielRicado Aug 29 '23 at 20:21