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What is the app install banner (mini-infobar)?

Short answer

The mini-infobar is a small automatic prompt Chrome for Android can show at the bottom of the screen once a site meets install criteria and engagement heuristics, offering a one-tap install without opening the browser menu. Developers can call preventDefault() on the beforeinstallprompt event to suppress it and instead show their own custom "Install" button, triggering the native dialog later at a more relevant moment.

By InstantPWA engineering·Reviewed July 25, 2026

Default behaviour

Once installability and engagement criteria are met, Chrome may show the mini-infobar automatically without any code from the developer.

Custom install UI

Capturing and calling preventDefault() on beforeinstallprompt, storing the event, and calling event.prompt() later lets you replace the automatic banner with your own contextual "Install app" button.

iOS has no equivalent

This entire mechanism is Chromium-specific — iOS Safari has no automatic banner of any kind.

Sources

Related
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.
What are the requirements for the Chrome install prompt?
Chrome fires beforeinstallprompt when the site is served over HTTPS, links a valid manifest with name, start_url and 192px + 512px icons, registers a service worker with a fetch handler, and passes a user-engagement heuristic (typically one interaction and ~30 seconds of use). Any failing criterion silently blocks the prompt.
Is a responsive website the same as a PWA?
No, they solve different problems. Responsive design means your layout adapts to different screen sizes using CSS (media queries, flexible grids). A PWA is about adding installability, offline support and push notifications through HTTPS, a Web App Manifest and a service worker. A site can be responsive without being a PWA, and in principle a PWA could be built without fully responsive layout, though in practice almost every PWA is also responsive.
Can you monetize a PWA?
Yes. A PWA can process payments the same way any website does — with a payment processor like Stripe or PayPal, optionally streamlined with the Payment Request API for a native-feeling checkout sheet. Because PWAs are not distributed through an app store by default, sites can take payments without paying Apple’s or Google’s in-app-purchase commission, which only applies to purchases made inside a native app-store listing.
Do PWAs work on Windows?
Yes. On Windows, installing a PWA through Chrome or Edge adds it to the Start menu and taskbar, gives it its own window without browser chrome, and lists it in Windows Settings → Apps alongside native applications, where it can be uninstalled the same way. Microsoft also historically indexed some PWAs directly into the Microsoft Store via PWABuilder.