Intent to Prototype: WebUSB & Extension Service Worker Integration
Tarek ElBahnasawy
Contact emails
Explainer
Specification
https://wicg.github.io/webusb/#enumeration
Summary
Allows web developers to use WebUSB API when responding to extension events by exposing WebUSB API to Service Workers registered by browser extensions. This API will not yet be exposed to Service Workers registered by sites but the implementation experience gained by supporting the API for extensions will be valuable for such a future project.
Blink component
Motivation
As Chrome Apps API chrome.usb will soon be deprecated, developers are encouraged to migrate to web apps or Chrome Extensions. For the Chrome Extension case, manifest V3 deprecates the background page and recommends developers to migrate to service workers. As a result, it is required to support WebUSB in service workers.
Initial public proposal
https://github.com/WICG/webusb/issues/22
TAG review
TAG review status
Not applicable
Risks
Interoperability and Compatibility
Gecko: Negative (https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/100) Mozilla has not provided a position on this feature but their position on WebUSB is negative.
WebKit: Negative (https://github.com/WebKit/standards-positions/issues/68) Apple has not implemented WebUSB due to concerns about fingerprinting
Web developers: No signals
Other signals:
WebView application risks
None, WebUSB is not available in WebViews.
Debuggability
Devtools
Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests?
No
Flag name
chrome://flags/#enable-web-usb-on-extension-service-worker
Requires code in //chrome?
True
Tracking bug
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1303193
Launch bug
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1322637
Estimated milestones
No milestones specified
Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status
https://chromestatus.com/feature/5200265459269632
This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status.