iOS - Safari currently doesn't support a Web app install banner, like in Android - Chrome.
There is no way to programmatically trigger install banner in Android as well, except for the case when you catch the beforeInstallPrompt and use that to show the banner.
In the linked answer, you can check on the alternate option on how to show in app banner to guide user to add to home screen. Here is some code example for the same, which is iOS specific (look under #PROTIP 3).
Answer from Anand on Stack OverflowReddit
reddit.com › r/reactjs › pwa on ios
r/reactjs on Reddit: PWA on iOS
March 18, 2024 -
Hey all, I'm considering going fully on React and use PWA for both iOS and Android.
It seems Android makes it a bit easier, do you happen to know by any chance the pitfalls of using PWA on iOS? Specifically in these areas:
- User installation.
- Notifications.
- Geolocation.
Any insight is appreciated
Top answer 1 of 5
4
Well, for Angular you can use Ionic to make a real app. I'm sure there's something similar to just build it as a regular app someone can install from a store or side load.
2 of 5
4
Just my two cents: People are not using PWA apps enough that it‘s worth implementing one. The most average users don‘t even know what a PWA is. „Huh? Why should I bookmark my Website to my Homescreen. Naaah, I won‘t do this.“ would be the most frequent use case, at least on iOS. For notifications I guess there are many guides to implement it. Since iOS 16 PWAs can send push notifications to iPhones. Here is a developer guide from Apple: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/sending-web-push-notifications-in-web-apps-and-browsers Can‘t give you insights on geolocations.
Mobiloud
mobiloud.com › blog › do pwas work on iphone? (progressive web apps for ios)
Do PWAs Work on iPhone? (Progressive Web Apps for iOS)
However, Apple has since posted an update to this message, saying that support for Home Screen apps (PWAs) is being brought back: “Previously, Apple announced plans to remove the Home Screen web apps capability in the EU as part of our efforts to comply with the DMA. The need to remove the capability was informed by the complex security and privacy concerns associated with web apps to support alternative browser engines that would require building a new integration architecture that does not currently exist in iOS.
PWA: How to programmatically trigger : "Add to homescreen"? on iOS Safari
However, Android using chrome shows a banner to download the app which is awesome, but it doesn't on iOS. Using Safari, a user needs a few clicks to get to the "Add to homescreen" feature which is bad. So here I am, I'm satisfied with my PWA, but I would really love to be able to tell the user ... More on stackoverflow.com
progressive web apps - iOS PWA: How to (re-)enable pull to refresh? - Stack Overflow
There are several questions on Stack Overflow asking how to disable pull-to-refresh, whether when their web-apps are visited in the native iOS Safari browser, or as a standalone (Homescreen) applic... More on stackoverflow.com
WTF is going on with PWA and iOS 26 (and iOS 26.1)? : Frontend
Generate iOS PWA splash screens on the fly! No more adding multiple apple-touch-startup-image tags to <HEAD>. : npm
Videos
Installing a PWA on your iPhone
08:43
Webapp to Progressive Web App - Let's make it easy for Android/iOS ...
Download the PWA on iOS
04:07
Progressive Web Apps in 2024 - YouTube
Native-like IOS PWA application : r/PWA
00:52
Installing a PWA on your iPhone - YouTube
Brainhub
brainhub.eu › library › pwa-on-ios
PWA on iOS - Current Status & Limitations for Users [2025]
While iOS requires explicit permission, the approach may differ on other platforms like Android. With the introduction of iPadOS, iPads now offer a desktop-class browser experience. However, PWAs on iOS 13 do not automatically adjust their layout when switching to/from Split Mode on iPads.
What PWA Can Do
whatpwacando.today
What PWA Can Do Today
This app is itself a PWA so you can install it on your device and then check the demos below to see what is supported on your device.
Alinpanaitiu
notes.alinpanaitiu.com › Install-any-website-as-PWA-on-iOS
Install any website as PWA on iOS — Alin Panaitiu
I want to have them as PWA (Progressive Web Apps) so I can use them as if they were native apps. This helps by making those sites readily available in the App Switcher, on the home screen and in Spotlight Search.
Codewave
codewave.com › home › limitations and status of progressive web apps on ios
Limitations and Status of Progressive Web Apps on iOS
October 16, 2024 - PWAs are web applications that leverage modern web technologies to deliver app-like experiences. They offer features such as offline functionality, push notifications, and home screen shortcuts, making them feel more native to the device.
MagicBell
magicbell.com › blog › best-practices-for-ios-pwa-push-notifications
4 Best Practices for iOS PWA Push Notifications
Before we get into the best practices ... significant caveat. In February 2024, Apple announced that it has removed Home Screen web apps (PWAs) for iOS users in the European Union (EU) in the iOS 17.4 release....
Top answer 1 of 3
83
iOS - Safari currently doesn't support a Web app install banner, like in Android - Chrome.
There is no way to programmatically trigger install banner in Android as well, except for the case when you catch the beforeInstallPrompt and use that to show the banner.
In the linked answer, you can check on the alternate option on how to show in app banner to guide user to add to home screen. Here is some code example for the same, which is iOS specific (look under #PROTIP 3).
2 of 3
45
For now, Apple doesn't give the possibility to make this "Add to home screen" experience easy.
You can provide a tooltip explanation to your users though, for IOs users:
Details explained here: https://web.archive.org/web/20200809175125/https://www.netguru.com/codestories/few-tips-that-will-make-your-pwa-on-ios-feel-like-native
in the section: PROTIP 3: Create an “Add to home screen” popup yourself!
Firt
firt.dev › notes › pwa-ios
iOS PWA Compatibility － firt.dev
June 6, 2023 - This is a compatibility list of supported features on Safari on iOS and iPadOS vs. what's available in the most used PWA browser in current market share for similar mobile devices: Google Chrome on Android.
CDC
cdc.gov › niosh › mining › tools › installpwa.html
How to Install a PWA | Mining | CDC
January 2, 2025 - A PWA can only be installed on iOS using the Safari web browser. First, navigate to the site in Safari. Press the "Share" button and select "Add to Home Screen" from the popup. Lastly, tap "Add" in the top right corner to finish installing the PWA.
Civicplus
civicplus.help › community-development › docs › install-a-progressive-web-application-pwa
Install a Progressive Web Application (PWA)
A PWA can only be installed on iOS using the Safari web browser.
web.dev
web.dev › learn › pwa › progressive-web-apps
Progressive Web Apps | web.dev
Note: People tend to think of Progressive Web Apps as an app that the user can install from a browser instead of an app store. However, a PWA can be listed in many app stores today as an optional distribution channel, including Google Play Store (for Android and ChromeOS), Microsoft Store (for Windows 10 and 11), and Apple AppStore (for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS).
Pwabuilder
docs.pwabuilder.com
PWABuilder Suite Documentation - test
Documentation for building great progressive web apps with the PWABuilder tooling suite.
Bitcot
bitcot.com › home › mobile apps › how to install a pwa to your device? a beginner’s guide
How to Install a PWA on iOS, Android, Windows & Mac [2025 Guide]
March 26, 2025 - eCommerce, Nonprofits, social media, news, finance, and travel websites see the biggest gains from PWAs due to faster load times and offline capabilities. ... Android & Windows: Supported on Chrome and Edge. iOS: Limited; Safari doesn’t support push notifications for PWAs yet.
Top answer 1 of 5
3
Seems like pull to refresh is explicitly disabled for standalone and fullscreen PWA apps on iOS.
I ended up reimplementing it with a standalone check, pulltorefresh.js, and some javascript glue.
const standalone =
navigator.standalone ||
window.matchMedia("(display-mode: standalone)").matches;
if (!standalone) {
return; // not standalone; no pull to refresh needed
}
PullToRefresh.init({
onRefresh() {
location.reload();
},
});
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2
Based on @Joonas, for react.
npm install pulltorefreshjs
npm install @types/pulltorefreshjs
I added this to my root file (main.tsx)
import PullToRefresh from "pulltorefreshjs"
...
const standalone = window.matchMedia("(display-mode: standalone)").matches
if (standalone) {
PullToRefresh.init({
onRefresh() {
window.location.reload()
},
})
}
not sure how it will affect Android devices though.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Progressive_web_app
Progressive web app - Wikipedia
November 2, 2025 - Ad revenue rates also increased by 44%, and core engagements by 60%. Flipkart saw 60% of customers who had uninstalled their native app return to use the Flipkart PWA. Lancôme saw an 84% decrease in time until the page is interactive, leading to a 17% increase in conversions and a 53% increase in mobile sessions on iOS with their PWA.
Scandiweb
scandiweb.com › home › collection › pwa ios strategies for unbeatable mobile performance!
iPhone iOS PWA Strategies for Unbeatable Mobile Performance
June 3, 2025 - Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) on iOS offer app-like experiences with offline access, but encounter specific challenges due to Apple’s native app preference and various limitations on iOS features compared to Android.
Medium
medium.com › @firt › progressive-web-apps-on-ios-are-here-d00430dee3a7
Progressive Web Apps on iOS are here 🚀 | by Maximiliano Firtman (firt.dev) | Medium
August 18, 2020 - Progressive Web Apps on iOS are here 🚀 With iOS 11.3, Apple has silently added support for the basic set of new technologies behind the idea of “Progressive Web Apps” (PWAs). It’s time to …
Neoteric
neoteric.eu › home › web development › all you need to know about pwa on ios
PWA on iOS: notifications, deployment, benefits | Neoteric
September 4, 2025 - In this article, we’ll explain what PWAs are and whether they work on Apple devices. We’ll also discuss why many companies choose to develop a progressive web app over a native app and will share a PWA iOS example on the app store.