GetInstalledRelatedApps Origin Trial results so far

[Matt Giuca]

Summary

This doc summarizes the total feedback we’ve heard and things we’ve learned so far from running an Origin Trial for GetInstalledRelatedApps (“InstalledApp”).

GetInstalledRelatedApps’ Origin Trial started in Chrome 59 and Chrome 61 is the last release in which the Origin Trial will be available.

Intent to experiment: https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msg/blink-dev/j-e8iI-WWg8/OjoJbm_zCgAJ

Contact email

mgi...@chromium.org, owe...@chromium.org

Spec and chromestatus.com entry

https://github.com/WICG/get-installed-related-apps/blob/master/EXPLAINER.md

https://www.chromestatus.com/features/5695378309513216

Developer interest

As of 2017-08-04, 41 origins have registered for access to the origin trial. Tokens were renewed 2 times for this feature.

Developer feedback

We have received almost no renewals so far (one of the two renewals was me) and thus don’t yet have any meaningful feedback to report.

The following requests came for improvements to the feature:

• The ability to pass data from the app to the site (to check status of things in the app).

Lessons learned from our goals for experimentation

• Determine whether the API design is ergonomic

• No feedback on this.

• Determine whether the API solves the notification de-duplication issue

• No accounts of it being used for this purpose.

In the renewal form, we also asked some additional questions:

• Do you need to be able to use getInstalledRelatedApps from a Service Worker (or Web Worker)? [Note that this is not currently possible.]

• The sole respondent ticked “Yes”.

• How many native Android apps do you intend to list as related_applications for your site?

• The sole respondent said 1.

• Why do you intend to use getInstalledRelatedApps? [Choose from a list]

• The sole respondent chose “De-duplicating notifications”.

Timeline

Past:

• 2017-06-06: M59 (first stable release).

• 2017-08-01: M60 stable release.

Future:

• 2017-09-12: M61 stable release.

• 2017-10-24: M62 in stable channel. Experiment ends.

Usage data (UMA)

The following metrics come from UMA and (NOT adjusted for UMA opt in rates).

• The `getInstalledRelatedApps` method was called 550 times, an average of 9.8 times per day.

• Interesting data points:

• Large spike on 2017-05-28 (82 calls).

• More volume in the past week, with 20--40 calls per day.