Definition

Standalone display mode

Short definition

Standalone is a value of the display field in a Web App Manifest. It tells the browser to launch the PWA in its own window with no address bar or tabs, so it looks and behaves like a native app. It is the most common display mode for installable PWAs.

Reviewed July 8, 2026

Standalone keeps navigation, history and cookies scoped to the app, so the user cannot accidentally navigate away or lose session.

Detect standalone at runtime with window.matchMedia('(display-mode: standalone)').matches — useful for hiding "Install" UI once installed.

The alternative values are browser (normal tab), minimal-ui (Chromium desktop only) and fullscreen (games). Most PWAs use standalone.

Related terms

Service worker

A service worker is a JavaScript file the browser runs in the background, separate from the page. It intercepts network requests, caches responses so the site works offline, and receives web-push events so the site can notify the user when it is closed.

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. The browser reads it to render the install prompt and the home-screen icon.

beforeinstallprompt

beforeinstallprompt is a window event Chromium browsers fire when a site meets the PWA install criteria. Capturing the event and calling prompt() later lets you show the install dialog at a moment of your choosing instead of at page load.