Answer

Can a PWA send push notifications on iOS?

Short answer

Yes. Since iOS 16.4 (March 2023), a PWA can send Web Push notifications on iPhone and iPad — but only after the user installs it to the home screen. Push in a regular Safari tab is not supported, and the user must explicitly grant notification permission from inside the installed PWA.

By InstantPWA engineering·Reviewed July 7, 2026

The install-first rule

On iOS, permission for push is only requested after the PWA is running in standalone mode. Requesting Notification.permission from a Safari tab returns "denied" immediately.

What you need to ship

A valid manifest with icons, a service worker that handles the `push` event, and a subscription flow that calls PushManager.subscribe() with your VAPID public key. iOS honours standard Web Push — no APNS certificate required.

Deliverability on iOS

iOS uses APNS under the hood but the developer surface is standard Web Push. Silent notifications are not supported — every push must be user-visible or iOS revokes the subscription.

Sources

Apple — Web Push for Web Apps on iOS and iPadOS

What is a PWA?

A PWA (Progressive Web App) is a regular website that meets three technical criteria — HTTPS, a Web App Manifest and a service worker — so browsers let visitors install it on their home screen. Once installed, it launches like a native app, works offline and can send push notifications.

Why is my PWA install prompt not showing?

Chrome shows the install prompt only when the site passes strict installability criteria: HTTPS, a valid manifest with name, icons and start_url, a registered service worker with a fetch handler, and the user has not previously dismissed the prompt. Any one of these missing is enough to block the prompt entirely.

Do PWAs work on iPhone?

Yes. Since iOS 16.4 (March 2023), iPhone and iPad support the full PWA feature set: install to home screen from Safari, standalone launch, offline via service worker, and Web Push notifications. The install step is manual — Safari does not show a browser prompt; users must tap Share → Add to Home Screen.