Improved Add To Homescreen (WebAPK) icon & name for installed web app on Google Chrome not upgrading after manifest update

Question

I have a website that meets all the pre-requisites for Google Chrome for Android's "improved" add-to-homescreen (A2HS) feature. I can install the app and a APK is formed and gets installed on the device and icon is available on homescreen.

In the Google developer blog documentation, it is said that with the "Improved" A2HS now, it's possible to modify the manifest.json file with new icon and name after the site is visited subsequently, the installed web app's icon and name should upgrade:

You now have the ability to update your Progressive Web App's icon and name and have it reflected to the user. Changing your icon or name in the manifest will update the icon on the home screen after the user has subsequently opened the site.

I have tried to modify the manifest with new values and verified that the modified manifest is being downloaded to the browser when the site is opened again, but the update of the name and icon for the installed web app does not happen. This is tested on Chrome for Android v63.

How do I get it working? Are there any particular steps that need to be taken care of? Am I missing something?

Hoffert

Answer 1

According to what I read, if you are able to create a WebAPK from your website, then you're all set for improved A2HS.

I've tried changing my shortname in my manifest.json to see if the app name updates, but to no avail. So I assume that this isn't something we could control, since we fit all the requirements of improved A2HS.

I do not know how long Chrome needs to generate a new APK for our pages, nor do I know when exactly it does this as I'm not patient enough to wait too long(I've waited for about an hour), so do take my word with a grain of salt.

Waikiki

Opened a discussion with the Chromium team that you might be interested in: groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/forum/#!topic/chromium-discuss/… - in general, looks like testing webAPK updates seems to be pretty difficult today on non-rooted devices, so there's an associated bug that's also been opened around the same based on my discussion with the chromium team: crbug.com/815282 – Hoffert

Hmm. Thanks, will follow this discussion. :) – Waikiki