demo · v134

Alt-tab disambiguation for installed apps

The explainer cites Alt-Tab on Windows and the macOS app-switcher as the concrete pain point. You install a PWA, open three documents in three windows, hit Alt-Tab — and every window shows the same app name with the page title appended. The new <meta name="document-subtitle"> separates a per-window state suffix from the stable app name. Edit each window’s subtitle and watch the simulated switcher rebuild.

probing document-subtitle support…

Three windows of the same PWA

The code

<meta name="application-name" content="Editor">
<title>Quarterly board pack</title>
<meta name="document-subtitle" content="page 12 of 48 · saved 12:03">

In the OS task switcher with document-subtitle present, Chrome shows Editor — Quarterly board pack — page 12 of 48 instead of Editor — Quarterly board pack.

see also