OmniRoute/docs/guides/PWA_GUIDE.md

title, version, lastUpdated

title	version	lastUpdated
Progressive Web App (PWA) Guide	3.8.0	2026-05-13

Progressive Web App (PWA) Guide

OmniRoute ships as a fully installable Progressive Web App. When you access the dashboard from any mobile browser — Android (Chrome) or iOS (Safari) — you can "Add to Home Screen" and get a native app-like experience with no app store required.

What Is a PWA?

A Progressive Web App turns the OmniRoute web dashboard into something that looks and feels like a native mobile app. Once installed, it:

• Launches from your home screen with its own icon
• Opens fullscreen — no browser address bar or tab UI
• Works offline with a dedicated connectivity page
• Caches static assets for faster loading
• Supports both portrait and landscape orientations

Installation

Android (Chrome)

1. Open the OmniRoute dashboard in Chrome: http://YOUR_IP:20128
2. Chrome will show an "Add OmniRoute to Home screen" banner automatically, or:
   • Tap the ⋮ menu (three dots) → "Add to Home screen" or "Install app"
3. Confirm the prompt
4. OmniRoute appears on your home screen as a standalone app

iOS (Safari)

1. Open the OmniRoute dashboard in Safari: http://YOUR_IP:20128
2. Tap the Share button (box with arrow)
3. Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen"
4. Name it (defaults to "OmniRoute") and tap Add
5. OmniRoute appears on your home screen with the app icon

Desktop (Chrome / Edge)

1. Open the OmniRoute dashboard
2. Click the install icon in the address bar (or ⋮ → "Install OmniRoute...")
3. Confirm the prompt
4. OmniRoute opens as a standalone window — no tabs, no address bar

Features

Fullscreen Experience

The manifest is configured with display: "fullscreen", which means the installed app uses the entire screen — no browser chrome, no status bar overlap. This makes the dashboard feel truly native.

Offline Support

OmniRoute includes a service worker (sw.js) that provides intelligent caching:

Asset Type	Strategy	Behavior
App Shell	Cache-first	/, /offline, manifest, and icons are pre-cached on install
Static assets (CSS, JS, images, fonts)	Network-first with cache fallback	Fetches fresh from the network; falls back to cache if offline
Next.js bundles (/_next/)	Network-first with cache update	Fetches from network and updates cache; serves cached version if offline
Navigation requests	Network-only with offline fallback	Always fetches from network; shows /offline page if network is unavailable
API routes (/api/, /a2a, /dashboard/endpoint)	Bypass (never cached)	Always goes directly to the server — never intercepted by the service worker

Offline Page

When the network is unavailable and a user navigates to a new page, the service worker serves a dedicated /offline page that:

• Displays a clear "Connectivity Issue" message
• Shows a live online/offline status indicator that updates in real time
• Provides a "Retry Connection" button to reload when connectivity returns
• Links to the Status Page for diagnostics

App Icons

OmniRoute provides icons optimized for each platform:

File	Size	Used By
icon-512.png	512×512	Android install prompt, splash screen
apple-touch-icon.png	180×180	iOS home screen icon
icon-192.svg	192×192 (vector)	Android adaptive icon
apple-touch-icon.svg	180×180 (vector)	Apple fallback
favicon.svg	Vector	Browser tabs
favicon.ico	Multi-size	Legacy browsers

Automatic Registration

The service worker is registered automatically via the <PwaRegister /> component in the root layout. No user action is needed — the app becomes installable as soon as the browser detects the valid manifest and service worker.

Technical Architecture

Web App Manifest (manifest.webmanifest)

Generated by Next.js via src/app/manifest.ts:

{
  "name": "OmniRoute",
  "short_name": "OmniRoute",
  "description": "OmniRoute is an AI gateway for multi-provider LLMs. One endpoint for all your AI providers.",
  "start_url": "/",
  "scope": "/",
  "display": "fullscreen",
  "orientation": "any",
  "background_color": "#0b0f1a",
  "theme_color": "#0b0f1a",
  "icons": [
    { "src": "/icon-512.png", "sizes": "512x512", "type": "image/png", "purpose": "any maskable" },
    { "src": "/apple-touch-icon.png", "sizes": "180x180", "type": "image/png" }
  ]
}

Service Worker (public/sw.js)

A vanilla service worker (no framework dependencies) with:

• Install phase: Pre-caches the app shell (root, offline page, manifest, icons)
• Activate phase: Cleans up old cache versions and claims all clients
• Fetch phase: Intelligent routing based on request type (navigation, static asset, API)
• Cache versioning: omniroute-pwa-v2 — bump this to force a fresh cache on update

Layout Metadata (src/app/layout.tsx)

The root layout provides all the meta tags required for PWA compliance:

• manifest link to /manifest.webmanifest
• apple-web-app-capable: true for iOS standalone mode
• apple-web-app-status-bar-style: black-translucent
• mobile-web-app-capable: yes for Android Chrome
• theme-color: #0b0f1a
• viewport-fit: cover for edge-to-edge rendering

Component: PwaRegister

Located at src/shared/components/PwaRegister.tsx, this client component:

1. Runs on mount (client-side only)
2. Checks for serviceWorker support in the browser
3. Registers /sw.js silently (errors are swallowed to avoid blocking the app)
4. Renders nothing (return null) — it's a side-effect-only component

Use With Termux (Android)

When running OmniRoute on Android via Termux, the PWA works seamlessly:

1. Start OmniRoute in Termux: npx omniroute
2. Open Chrome on the same phone: http://localhost:20128
3. Install the PWA via "Add to Home Screen"
4. The PWA connects to the local Termux server — everything runs on-device

This combination means your Android phone is both the server (Termux) and the client (PWA) — a complete self-contained AI gateway.

Use From Other Devices

Install the PWA on any device that has browser access to your OmniRoute server:

• Another phone/tablet: Navigate to http://PHONE_IP:20128 and install the PWA
• Laptop: Open Chrome/Edge and install it as a desktop PWA
• Smart TV with browser: Access the dashboard fullscreen

Customization

Instance Name

The PWA title respects the Instance Name setting from Dashboard → Settings. If you rename your instance to "My AI Gateway", the installed PWA will show that name.

Custom Favicon

If you upload a custom favicon via Dashboard → Settings, the PWA icon on desktop will reflect the custom icon. Mobile home screen icons use the pre-built icon-512.png and apple-touch-icon.png files.

Limitations

• No push notifications — The service worker does not implement the Push API. Notifications are handled by the Electron app instead.
• No background sync — Offline actions are not queued for replay. The PWA is primarily a dashboard viewer.
• iOS restrictions — Safari on iOS does not support all PWA features (e.g., install prompts are manual, and background service workers are limited).
• Cache size — The service worker caches static assets only. Large response payloads from /api/ routes are never cached.
• Custom icons on mobile — Changing the favicon in settings does not update the home screen icon on mobile (this requires regenerating the PWA icons).

Files Reference

File	Purpose
src/app/manifest.ts	Next.js manifest route (generates manifest.webmanifest)
public/sw.js	Service worker with caching logic
src/shared/components/PwaRegister.tsx	Client component that registers the service worker
src/app/offline/page.tsx	Offline fallback page with live status indicator
src/app/layout.tsx	Root layout with PWA metadata (apple-web-app, theme-color, etc.)
public/icon-512.png	512×512 PNG icon (Android, splash screen)
public/apple-touch-icon.png	180×180 PNG icon (iOS home screen)
public/icon-192.svg	192×192 SVG icon (Android adaptive)
public/apple-touch-icon.svg	180×180 SVG icon (Apple fallback)