Answer

Can a PWA read and write the clipboard?

Short answer

Yes. The asynchronous Clipboard API (navigator.clipboard.writeText() / readText(), plus write()/read() for images and other types) lets a PWA copy to and paste from the system clipboard. Writing generally requires a user gesture like a click; reading is more restricted and, on most browsers, requires either a user gesture, a permission prompt, or both, to prevent silent clipboard snooping.

By InstantPWA engineering·Reviewed July 25, 2026

Writing

navigator.clipboard.writeText("...") from within a click handler works across all major browsers without a permission prompt.

Reading

navigator.clipboard.readText() is more tightly gated — Chrome may show a permission prompt, and it generally must be called from a user-initiated event.

Legacy fallback

The older document.execCommand("copy") still works as a synchronous fallback in some older codebases but is deprecated in favour of the async API.

Sources

MDN — Clipboard API

Can a PWA access the camera?

Yes. A PWA can access the camera, microphone, geolocation and file system through the same Web APIs a regular website uses (getUserMedia, showOpenFilePicker, Geolocation). Every capability requires explicit user permission and works cross-platform, though a few APIs (Bluetooth, USB, NFC) are still Chromium-only.

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.

Can a PWA record the screen?

Yes, on desktop browsers. navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia() lets a page request permission to capture a tab, an application window or the entire screen — the user explicitly chooses which one from a native OS picker every time. Combined with the MediaRecorder API, a PWA can record and save screen video entirely client-side. Mobile browser support is more limited than desktop.

Do you have to submit a PWA to an app store?

No. A PWA installs directly from the browser with no app store involved at all — that is one of its core advantages. Submitting to the Google Play Store, Microsoft Store or Apple App Store is entirely optional and is done purely for extra discoverability, using wrappers like a Trusted Web Activity (Android) or PWABuilder-generated packages (Windows, and a WKWebView-based wrapper for iOS).

Can a website know if a user uninstalled its PWA?

There is no standard browser event that fires when a user uninstalls a PWA, so a site cannot reliably detect uninstalls directly. In practice, teams infer it indirectly — for example, a push notification send failing with an "unsubscribed" or "gone" error from the push service, or a previously frequent user simply stopping all visits, are the closest available signals.