The PWA must meet Chrome’s installability criteria, including a valid web app manifest with required fields, a registered service worker, and HTTPS delivery.2. Sufficient user engagement is required, such as interaction or multiple visits, to prevent premature prompts.3. If the user dismissed the prompt before, it won’t reappear automatically unless manually triggered using the beforeinstallprompt event.4. Device and browser limitations exist, such as restricted PWA support on iOS Chrome and limited UI on desktop.5. Browser flags or enterprise policies might disable PWA features. To resolve, verify technical requirements, increase engagement, and use Lighthouse to audit the PWA, ensuring it meets Chrome’s quality standards for installation.

The "Add to Home Screen" (A2HS) prompt for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) might be missing in Google Chrome for several reasons—most of which are intentional and based on specific criteria Chrome uses to determine when to show the option. It’s not that the feature is gone; it’s just more tightly controlled than before.

Here’s why you might not be seeing the "Add to Home Screen" option:

1. The PWA Doesn’t Meet Chrome’s Installability Criteria

Chrome only shows the A2HS prompt if the web app meets a set of technical requirements. These include:

• Valid Web App Manifest: There must be a manifest.json file linked in the HTML with required fields like:

  • short_name or name
  • icons (at least one icon of 192px and one of 512px)
  • start_url
  • display (must be one of: fullscreen, standalone, or minimal-ui)
  • theme_color and background_color

• Service Worker Registered: The site must register a service worker to enable offline functionality and caching.

  

• Served Over HTTPS: The site must be secure (localhost is an exception for development).

If any of these are missing or misconfigured, Chrome won’t consider the site installable.

2. User Engagement Threshold Not Met

Even if the technical criteria are met, Chrome waits for sufficient user engagement before showing the prompt. This means:

• The user has interacted with the page (e.g., clicked, scrolled, or spent some time).
• The site has been visited multiple times or has been open for a minimum duration.

Chrome uses this to prevent spammy or low-quality sites from pushing the install prompt too early.

3. The Prompt Was Already Shown (and Dismissed)

If the user previously dismissed the A2HS prompt, Chrome won’t show it again automatically. The browser assumes the user isn’t interested.

You can check if the beforeinstallprompt event was fired and save the event to manually trigger the prompt later (e.g., via a custom button), but Chrome won’t re-trigger it on its own.

Example:

let deferredPrompt;

window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', (e) => {
  e.preventDefault();
  deferredPrompt = e;
  // Show your custom "Install App" button
});

// Later, when user clicks your button:
if (deferredPrompt) {
  deferredPrompt.prompt();
}

4. Using an Incompatible Device or Browser Version

• On desktop Chrome, the A2HS option is limited and usually only appears as "Install" in the three-dot menu (not a banner).
• On iOS, Chrome doesn’t support true PWA installation (due to Apple’s WebKit restrictions), so the behavior mimics Safari—basically just "Add to Home Screen" as a bookmark, without full PWA capabilities.
• Older versions of Chrome may have different behavior or lack updated PWA support.

5. Flags or Settings Are Disabled

In rare cases, users or administrators might have disabled PWA-related features:

• Check chrome://flags for any disabled PWA or installability features.
• Enterprise policies might block app installation.

Bottom line: The "Add to Home Screen" option isn’t missing—it’s just being shown more selectively. To get it back:

• Verify your manifest and service worker.
• Ensure the site is served over HTTPS.
• Increase user engagement (time, interaction).
• Use the beforeinstallprompt event to control when the prompt appears.

Most issues are fixable by auditing your PWA setup using Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools—it will clearly tell you what’s missing.

Basically, Chrome now prioritizes quality and user experience over convenience, so meeting the standards is key.

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