Window: beforeinstallprompt event

Limited availability

This feature is not Baseline because it does not work in some of the most widely-used browsers.

The beforeinstallprompt event fires when the browser has detected that a website can be installed as a Progressive Web App.

There's no guaranteed time this event is fired, but it usually happens on page load.

The typical use for this event is when a web app wants to provide its own in-app UI inviting the user to install the app, rather than the generic one provided by the browser. This enables the app to provide more context about the app, explaining to the user why they might want to install it.

In this scenario, the handler for this event will:

  • Keep a reference to the BeforeInstallPromptEvent object that's passed into it
  • Reveal its in-app installation UI (this should be hidden by default, because not all browsers will support installation).

When the user uses the in-app installation UI to install the app, the in-app installation UI calls the prompt() method of the retained BeforeInstallPromptEvent object to show the installation prompt.

Syntax

Use the event name in methods like addEventListener(), or set an event handler property.

js
addEventListener("beforeinstallprompt", (event) => { })

onbeforeinstallprompt = (event) => { }

Event type

A BeforeInstallPromptEvent. Inherits from Event.

Event BeforeInstallPromptEvent

Event properties

Inherits properties from its parent, Event.

BeforeInstallPromptEvent.platforms Read only

Returns an array of string items containing the platforms on which the event was dispatched. This is provided for user agents that want to present a choice of versions to the user such as, for example, "web" or "play" which would allow the user to choose between a web version or an Android version.

BeforeInstallPromptEvent.userChoice Read only

Returns a Promise that resolves to an object describing the user's choice when they were prompted to install the app.

Event methods

BeforeInstallPromptEvent.prompt()

Show a prompt asking the user if they want to install the app. This method returns a Promise that resolves to an object describing the user's choice when they were prompted to install the app.

Examples

In the following example an app provides its own install button, which has an id of "install". Initially the button is hidden.

html
<button id="install" hidden>Install</button>

The beforeinstallprompt handler:

  • Cancels the event, which prevents the browser displaying its own install UI on some platforms
  • Assigns the BeforeInstallPromptEvent object to a variable, so it can be used later
  • Reveals the app's install button.
js
let installPrompt = null;
const installButton = document.querySelector("#install");

window.addEventListener("beforeinstallprompt", (event) => {
  event.preventDefault();
  installPrompt = event;
  installButton.removeAttribute("hidden");
});

When clicked, the app's install button:

  • Calls the prompt() method of the stored event object, to trigger the installation prompt.
  • Resets its state by clearing the installPrompt variable and hiding itself again.
js
installButton.addEventListener("click", async () => {
  if (!installPrompt) {
    return;
  }
  const result = await installPrompt.prompt();
  console.log(`Install prompt was: ${result.outcome}`);
  installPrompt = null;
  installButton.setAttribute("hidden", "");
});

Specifications

Specification
Manifest Incubations
# onbeforeinstallprompt-attribute

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile server
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
Deno
beforeinstallprompt event
Chrome – Partial support
Chrome 44 – 60 (Release date: 2015-07-21)
footnote Partial support
footnote The onbeforeinstallprompt event handler property is not supported.
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 61 (Release date: 2017-09-05)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 79 (Release date: 2020-01-15)
footnote Full support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – Partial support
Opera 31 – 47 (Release date: 2015-08-04)
footnote Partial support
footnote The onbeforeinstallprompt event handler property is not supported.
Opera – Full support
Opera 48 (Release date: 2017-09-27)
footnote Full support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – Partial support
Chrome Android 44 – 60 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Partial support
footnote The onbeforeinstallprompt event handler property is not supported.
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 61 (Release date: 2017-09-05)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – Partial support
Opera Android 32 – 44 (Release date: 2015-09-23)
footnote Partial support
footnote The onbeforeinstallprompt event handler property is not supported.
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 45 (Release date: 2018-02-15)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – Partial support
Samsung Internet 5 – 7.4 (Release date: 2016-12-15)
footnote Partial support
footnote The onbeforeinstallprompt event handler property is not supported.
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 8 (Release date: 2018-07-18)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Partial support
WebView Android 44 – 60 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Partial support
footnote The onbeforeinstallprompt event handler property is not supported.
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 61 (Release date: 2017-09-05)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
Deno – No support
Deno
footnote No support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support
Partial support
Partial support
No support
No support
Has more compatibility info.

See also