Manifest display modes: standalone vs fullscreen

Limited availabilityNot supported in Firefox (Desktop)W3C

In one line: display tells the browser how much of its own UI to strip when your installed PWA launches. The four values form a fallback chain — fullscreen → standalone → minimal-ui → browser — so an unsupported value quietly degrades to the next one down. standalone is the common default for an app-like window; display_override unlocks newer modes like window-controls-overlay.

The four display values

• fullscreen — uses the entire screen, no browser UI and no OS status bar where the platform allows. Best for immersive content like games or media.
• standalone — opens in its own window with no address bar and no tab strip, but keeps OS-level chrome (status bar, back gesture). This is the typical “feels like a native app” choice.
• minimal-ui — like standalone but the browser keeps a minimal set of navigation controls (often back/forward/reload). Useful when users navigate a lot and benefit from visible controls.
• browser — opens in a normal browser tab or window with full chrome. Effectively declines an app-like window; on many browsers this also suppresses the install prompt.

The fallback chain

Each value falls back down the list when the browser or platform doesn’t support it:

fullscreen → standalone → minimal-ui → browser

• Request fullscreen; if unsupported, the browser uses standalone, then minimal-ui, then browser.
• You only ever need to set the highest mode you want — the chain handles the rest.
• browser is the terminal value: it always works and never adds an app window.

display_override for newer modes

display alone can’t express modes outside the fixed chain. display_override is an ordered array the browser walks before falling back to display:

{
  "display": "standalone",
  "display_override": ["window-controls-overlay", "minimal-ui"],
  "scope": "/app/"
}

• The browser tries each display_override entry in order, then falls back to display.
• window-controls-overlay lets your content draw into the title-bar area on desktop — useful for custom toolbars in productivity apps.
• tabbed (where supported) gives an installed app its own tab strip.
• Unknown entries are skipped, so display_override degrades gracefully on older browsers that still honor the plain display value.

Display, installability, and scope

• Installability. Most browsers require a display value of standalone, fullscreen, or minimal-ui to offer install. A manifest set to browser typically disqualifies the install prompt.
• Scope interaction. display decides how much chrome an in-scope page shows; scope decides which URLs count as in-app. When the user navigates out of scope, the browser re-exposes the address bar regardless of your display mode — display can’t keep off-scope pages chrome-free.
• Start context. The chosen mode applies from start_url onward; deep links that land in-scope inherit the same display treatment.

Choosing a display mode

Product need	Recommended display	Why
Immersive game or media player	fullscreen	Maximizes screen, removes all chrome where allowed.
General app-like experience	standalone	App window without address bar; still installable.
Content users navigate heavily	minimal-ui	Keeps back/forward/reload controls visible.
Custom desktop title-bar UI	display_override: ["window-controls-overlay"] + display: "standalone"	Draws into the title bar; falls back to standalone.
Want to stay a normal website	browser	No app window; usually no install prompt.
Maximize install eligibility	standalone (or fullscreen/minimal-ui)	browser disqualifies the install prompt on most browsers.

Practical checklist

• Set the single highest mode you want; let the fallback chain handle older browsers.
• Use display: "standalone" unless you have a specific reason for another mode.
• Avoid browser if you want the install prompt to appear.
• For newer modes, list them in display_override and keep a safe display fallback.
• If you use window-controls-overlay, test the title-bar drawing area and provide a usable layout when the overlay isn’t granted.
• Confirm scope aligns with your app paths — display won’t hide chrome off-scope.
• Test the installed launch on each target platform; OS chrome differs even in standalone.

Specifications

Specification	Status
Web App Manifest: display	W3C

• Legend
• Yes
• Partial
• Flag
• No
• Unknown

Browser / Platform	Support	Versions	Confidence	Source	Notes
Chrome (Android)	Yes	39	medium	source	—
Chrome (Desktop)	Yes	73	medium	source	—
Edge (Desktop)	Yes	79	medium	source	—
Safari (iOS)	Yes	11.3	medium	source	1
Safari (macOS)	Yes	17	medium	source	—
Firefox (Desktop)	No	—	medium	source	2
Samsung Internet	Yes	4.0	medium	source	—

1. standalone honored; minimal-ui falls back to standalone.
2. No desktop install path consuming display.

Source data: /compatibility/manifest-display.json · Global usage: 90 % (StatCounter 2026-05)

Source: spec · MDN · Last verified 2026-06-24 · Confidence: medium (computed from sources)