Store policy
In one line: Each store has a different packaging mechanism for getting a PWA into its catalog — a Trusted Web Activity on Google Play, a packaged PWA on the Microsoft Store, and Safari home-screen install on iOS — but whether a given store currently accepts that submission is a policy question whose dated, sourced verdict lives in the policy dimension.
How each store packages a PWA
Section titled “How each store packages a PWA”This table describes the mechanism — the technical route a PWA takes into each catalog. It deliberately does not state accept / partial / reject status: that verdict shifts with each store’s policy updates and is owned by the policy data.
| Store | Packaging mechanism | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play | Trusted Web Activity | A wrapper generated with Bubblewrap/PWABuilder that renders the verified origin full-screen, with Digital Asset Links verification. |
| Microsoft Store | Packaged PWA | PWABuilder generates a Store package; the PWA is submitted directly rather than wrapped in a native shell. |
| Apple App Store | Web (no wrapper) | iOS reaches users through Safari home-screen install of the PWA itself rather than a store-side PWA package. |
| Samsung Galaxy Store | Packaged / TWA | The same wrapper approaches used elsewhere; the route in use can change. |
For the current, dated verdict — accepted / partial / rejected, with a source link and verification date — read the policy dimension of the compatibility explorer. This page explains the mechanisms; the policy data owns the status, so there is a single source of truth.
What governs acceptance
Section titled “What governs acceptance”- Technical packaging. A valid manifest, service worker, secure origin, and (for Play) Digital Asset Links verification of the wrapped origin.
- Content and policy review. The same human review any app faces — content rules, privacy disclosures, payments policy.
- Minimum-functionality bars. Some stores reject “thin wrapper” apps that add nothing beyond the website; a real installable PWA with offline support clears this more easily.
Decision framework
Section titled “Decision framework”This routes you to the mechanism for a given audience; check the policy data for whether that route is currently open.
| Goal | Mechanism | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reach Android store users | Google Play via TWA | The mainstream Android store packaging route. |
| Reach Windows desktop store users | Microsoft Store packaged PWA | First-class PWA submission with auto-update. |
| Reach iOS users | Safari home-screen install | The web install path on iOS. |
| Maximize reach, skip review | Installable web (no store) | Instant updates, no policy gate. |
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