Gaurav Varma

Rails 8 makes it official: every new Rails app is now a Progressive Web App by default — complete with a manifest.json, service worker, and hooks for web push notifications via the upcoming Action Notifier framework.

This means Rails apps can now be installable, work offline, and send native-like push messages — without extra setup.

Why PWAs matter

PWAs bridge the gap between web and native apps:

Installable like a mobile app
Launch without browser chrome
Offline-capable
Support for push notifications

Especially for B2C apps, being installable and having push capabilities can be make-or-break. With Rails 8, these features come out of the box.

What's included in Rails 8

Rails 8 now scaffolds:

manifest.json.erb: Defines the app name, icons, display behavior, and metadata
service-worker.js: Registered automatically to enable offline caching and push
Action Notifier (coming soon): A new framework to send push notifications

A recent Rails PR (#50528) added default PWA setup to every new app.

Enabling the manifest

To make your Rails app installable on mobile:

Add <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json"> to your layout
Ensure your manifest is served at /manifest.json

Add platform-specific icons:

1<link rel="icon" href="/logo.png" type="image/png">
2<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/logo.png">

Your app now prompts install in Chrome, Safari, Edge, and more.

Sample manifest:

1{
2  "name": "My Rails App",
3  "short_name": "RailsApp",
4  "start_url": "/",
5  "display": "standalone",
6  "theme_color": "#f43f5e",
7  "background_color": "#f43f5e",
8  "icons": [{ "src": "/logo.png", "sizes": "512x512", "type": "image/png" }]
9}

Service worker basics

Rails 8 adds an empty service worker scaffold to get you started:

1// app/javascript/application.js
2if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
3  navigator.serviceWorker.register('/service-worker.js');
4}

1// app/views/pwa/service-worker.js
2self.addEventListener('install', () => console.log('Service Worker installed'));
3self.addEventListener('activate', () =>
4  console.log('Service Worker activated'),
5);

You can extend it to handle caching and push notifications as needed.

Push Notifications (coming soon)

The upcoming Action Notifier framework will power native-style push notifications with support for:

Subscription handling
VAPID keys
Background delivery

This complements the service worker, making it easy to notify users even when they’re not actively using the app.

Resources

Summary

Rails 8 is now PWA-ready by default, removing all friction for developers who want modern app-like experiences.

You get:

manifest.json and install prompts
Service workers out of the box
Hooks for push via Action Notifier

Whether you're building for mobile users, aiming for offline-first performance, or looking to boost engagement — Rails 8 sets the foundation right.

Rails 8 embraces PWA by default with manifest, service workers, and push notifications