Offline reliability depends on explicit cache policy

A cached application shell is useful, but users also need predictable behavior when requested data is missing.

I define offline reliability through explicit cache policy rather than the mere presence of a worker.

MDN explains cache strategy tradeoffs: faster cached responses can preserve outdated content.

A network first policy instead prioritizes fresh responses, using cached content when network access fails.

Choose policies per resource, state what remains available, and make unavailable actions visible to users.

Since Installing a PWA does not guarantee offline operation, verify disconnected tasks independently from installation.

If Cross-platform PWAs still need capability-based fallbacks, background retries cannot be the only recovery path.

Reliable offline behavior starts with a bounded promise that the application can demonstrably keep.