According to documentation:
The “Install app” button in (OUR SOFTWARE USER INTERFACE) is for the site’s Progressive Web App (PWA), and it’s cross-platform (desktop + Android + iPhone/iPad), not iPhone-only.
What’s different is the install experience by device/browser:
iPhone/iPad (iOS): It’s basically Safari → Share → “Add to Home Screen.” XenForo’s own manual calls this out, and notes iOS support is tied to Safari and newer iOS versions (iOS 16.4+ for the “installed PWA” flow used for push notifications).
Android (Chrome/Edge) + many desktops: The browser can do a more “native” install prompt and actually drops an app icon like an installed app.
On Android (Chrome/Edge) and desktop browsers, the browser will often show a pop-up like:
“Install this app?” or “Add to Home screen?”
If the user taps Install, the browser:
Safari → Share → Add to Home Screen
End result is similar (an icon that launches the site like an app), but the prompt/flow is less automatic on iOS.
I do not have android to test.
Android users share if you’re able!
The “Install app” button in (OUR SOFTWARE USER INTERFACE) is for the site’s Progressive Web App (PWA), and it’s cross-platform (desktop + Android + iPhone/iPad), not iPhone-only.
What’s different is the install experience by device/browser:
iPhone/iPad (iOS): It’s basically Safari → Share → “Add to Home Screen.” XenForo’s own manual calls this out, and notes iOS support is tied to Safari and newer iOS versions (iOS 16.4+ for the “installed PWA” flow used for push notifications).
Android (Chrome/Edge) + many desktops: The browser can do a more “native” install prompt and actually drops an app icon like an installed app.
On Android (Chrome/Edge) and desktop browsers, the browser will often show a pop-up like:
“Install this app?” or “Add to Home screen?”
If the user taps Install, the browser:
- adds an icon to the phone/desktop (home screen, app drawer, start menu, etc.)
- and the site then opens in its own app-like window (no browser address bar), as if it were a real app
Safari → Share → Add to Home Screen
End result is similar (an icon that launches the site like an app), but the prompt/flow is less automatic on iOS.
I do not have android to test.
Android users share if you’re able!