Google starts enforcing offline experiences for installable PWAs in Chrome 89

Google continually updates its Chrome browser to offer new features and enhancements to users. For example, a major change in Chrome 88 was that it featured better password protection. Apart from making customer-facing changes, the company also updates its software to make it easier for developers to offer new capabilities in the browser.

Now, Google has rolled out Chrome 89 in the stable channel. It contains multiple enhancements to the developer and, subsequently, user experience.

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A major change in Chrome 89 is that Google has started warning developers to offer offline experiences with their installable Progress Web Apps (PWAs). Previously, developers were able to skirt this condition in some cases but now Google will be cautioning developers in DevTools in the Issues tab, and will begin enforcing it as a mandatory requirement of the PWA installability criteria from Chrome 93 later this year. This change does not affect developers who already offer offline experiences for their installable PWAs.

WebHID, WebNFC, and Web Serial have hit the stable channel on Chrome as well. These APIs allow website developers and hardware manufacturers to create engaging experiences between the two platforms with minimal lines of code. This also removes certain dependencies on driver updates and software installation when you get a new piece of hardware you'd like to link to a webpage on Chrome.

Another significant addition to Chrome 89 is the availability of Web Share and Web Share Target APIs for desktop. These enable users to share their content to other apps on the device. For example, a user will be able to share photos from Google Photos to Twitter. This capability was already available on mobile, but has now made its way to Chrome OS and Windows as well.

Other minor changes include enhancements to JavaScript modules, and updating the omnibox icon for installable PWAs. If Google Chrome on your device has not updated to version 89 already, you can head over to the dedicated page here to find out how to manually trigger the update.