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Answer

Can a PWA record the screen?

Short answer

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.

By InstantPWA engineering·Reviewed July 25, 2026

How it works

getDisplayMedia() returns a MediaStream after the user picks a source from the browser’s native chooser; there is no way to bypass this selection step programmatically.

Recording it

Feed the returned stream into a MediaRecorder to produce a video file (typically WebM) client-side, without any server round-trip.

Platform support

Well supported on desktop Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari; mobile support historically lagged and varies by browser version.

Sources

Related
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 the Screen Wake Lock API?
The Screen Wake Lock API lets a page request navigator.wakeLock.request("screen") to prevent the device screen from dimming or auto-locking while the page is active — useful for recipe apps being followed hands-free, presentation tools, or video calls. The lock automatically releases when the tab is hidden or closed.
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.
Do PWAs need App Store approval?
No. A PWA installs directly from the browser, so it never passes through Apple App Review or Google Play review. You publish changes by deploying your website, and users get them on the next launch. Review only applies if you deliberately package the PWA into a store listing.