Detecting PWA Installation Status on Chrome OS: A Reliable Solution

The Challenge of Detecting PWA Installation

As a developer, you’ve invested time and effort into creating a Progressive Web App (PWA) that provides a seamless user experience across various platforms, including Chrome OS. However, detecting whether your PWA is installed or not on Chrome OS can be a challenge.

The Solution: Using the `beforeinstallprompt` Event and `matchAll()` Method

To reliably detect if your PWA is installed or not on Chrome OS, you can utilize the `beforeinstallprompt` event and the `matchAll()` method. Here’s a step-by-step guide to implement this solution:

Step 1: Add an Event Listener for `beforeinstallprompt`

Add an event listener to detect the `beforeinstallprompt` event, which is fired when the user is prompted to install your PWA:

window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', (e) => { ... });

Step 2: Use the `matchAll()` Method to Check for Installed PWAs

Inside the event listener, use the `matchAll()` method to retrieve a list of installed PWAs that match your app’s URL:

chrome.management.getAll_self(), (extensions) => { ... }

Step 3: Verify Your PWA’s Installation Status

Loop through the returned list of installed PWAs and check if your app’s URL matches any of the installed PWA’s URLs:

extensions.some((extension) => extension.management.permissions.includes('active'));

Putting it All Together

Here’s the complete code snippet to reliably detect if your PWA is installed or not on Chrome OS:

window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', (e) => {
chrome.management.getAll_self(), (extensions) => {
const isInstalled = extensions.some((extension) => extension.management.permissions.includes('active'));
console.log(isInstalled ? 'PWA is installed' : 'PWA is not installed');
};
});

Conclusion

By implementing this solution, you can accurately detect whether your PWA is installed or not on Chrome OS, providing a seamless user experience and allowing you to tailor your app’s behavior accordingly.

Here are 5 Questions and Answers about “how would I reliably detect if my PWA is installed or not on ChromeOS”:

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