Manifest Display Modes (standalone, fullscreen…)
The display property in a web app manifest controls how much browser UI an installed PWA shows. "browser" opens a normal tab, "minimal-ui" keeps a slim navigation bar, "standalone" looks like a native app with no browser chrome, and "fullscreen" hides everything including the status bar. Most installable apps use "standalone", and the browser falls back down the list if a mode isn't supported.
Four levels of browser chrome
display is a single manifest field with four values, from most browser UI to least. The browser falls back down the list if it doesn't support the one you asked for, so a request for fullscreen might land on standalone, and standalone on minimal-ui.
The modes
| display value | What the user sees |
|---|---|
| browser | A normal browser tab, full chrome |
| minimal-ui | A slim bar with back/reload, no address bar |
| standalone | App-like, no browser chrome, status bar kept |
| fullscreen | Everything hidden, including the status bar |
Display mode FAQ
What does display: standalone do?
It launches the installed PWA without any browser chrome (no address bar or tabs), so it looks and feels like a native app, while keeping the device status bar.
Which display mode should I use?
For most installable apps, "standalone". Use "fullscreen" only for immersive cases like games; "minimal-ui" when you want a little navigation; "browser" if you don't want app-like behaviour at all.
Why does my PWA still show the address bar?
Either the app wasn't actually installed (you're still in a tab), or the browser fell back to a mode with more chrome because it doesn't support the one you requested.