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What is the Web Share Target API?
Short answer
The Web Share Target API lets an installed PWA declare a share_target entry in its manifest so it shows up in the device’s share sheet as a destination — the same way Twitter or Google Photos appear when you tap "Share" from another app. The declared URL receives the shared title, text, url or files as a request.
By InstantPWA engineering·Reviewed July 25, 2026
Manifest configuration
The manifest’s share_target field declares the action URL, HTTP method and the parameter names for title, text, url and files.
Support
Supported on Chromium (Chrome, Edge) on desktop and Android for installed PWAs. Not supported on iOS Safari.
Common use case
A photo-editing or note-taking PWA registering as a share target so users can send images or links to it directly from the camera roll or browser.
Related
What is the Web Share API?
The Web Share API lets a page call navigator.share({ title, text, url }) to open the operating system’s native share sheet, so users can send a link to Messages, Mail, social apps or any other installed share target — the same experience as sharing from a native app.
What is a Web App Manifest?
A Web App Manifest is a JSON file — usually manifest.webmanifest — that declares your app’s name, icons, start URL, theme colour and display mode. Browsers read it to decide whether to offer the install prompt and what icon and name to show on the home screen.
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.
What is a Trusted Web Activity?
A Trusted Web Activity (TWA) is Google’s official way to package a PWA as a full-screen Chrome Custom Tab inside a thin native Android shell, so it can be distributed through the Google Play Store while still rendering as your existing web app with no separate native codebase.
PWA vs Electron: what is the difference?
A PWA installs through the browser and reuses the browser’s already-installed engine, so it downloads in kilobytes and stays a few MB on disk. Electron bundles an entire Chromium and Node.js runtime into every app, typically 100-200MB, but in exchange gives full Node.js filesystem and OS access that the web sandbox does not allow.