# Store policy

> How each app store packages a PWA — Google Play via TWA, the Microsoft Store as a packaged PWA, and Apple's web-only path — with the sourced accept/partial/reject verdicts owned by the policy data.

**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](/compatibility/policy/).

## 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](/ecosystem/distribution/) | 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](/compatibility/policy/) 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

- **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

This routes you to the *mechanism* for a given audience; check the
[policy data](/compatibility/policy/) 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. |

← Back to the [Ecosystem](/ecosystem/) overview.