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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Setting up the mobile app for your community membership

Notice: This article is currently being updated to reflect recent releases. Some steps, options, and/or screenshots shown here may not match what you see in-app. Functionality and behavior may continue to evolve as improvements are rolled out.

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Community Beta Disclaimer: The community feature is launching in a beta state. During this time, we will be prioritizing user feedback and making frequent updates that may cause some images or details in this article to differ slightly from what you see in the app. For any questions, reach out to your community owner.

Your community works great in a browser, but it's even better as an app: one tap from your home screen, full-screen experience, and push notifications so you never miss a reply.

Note: The app option is available when the community's owner has it enabled (most do). You'll need to be signed in to the community to install.

What you're actually installing (a PWA)

The community ‘app’ is a Progressive Web App, or PWA, not an app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. A PWA is a website that can be added to your phone's home screen so it opens full screen, without a browser address bar, and behaves like any other app you'd tap to open. It's built and delivered differently than a native app, but the everyday experience (its own icon, full-screen view, notifications) looks and feels the same.

This matters for one practical reason: you will not find this app by searching the App Store or Google Play. You install it directly from your community, in your browser, using the steps below. See the FAQ at the end of this article for more on how a PWA differs from a native app.

Install on iPhone or iPad

In Safari, from the community:

  1. Open the Share menu. (Press More if you don't see the Share icon.)
  2. Scroll down to Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add to confirm.

  4. Find the community's icon on your Home Screen.

    Note: On the Add to Home Screen screen, you may see an Open as Web App toggle turned on. Leave it on: it's what makes the community open in its own full-screen window instead of inside Safari.

Install on Android or desktop

Look for the Install app prompt (or Add app to home screen in the menu) and confirm. The community installs like any app, with its own icon.

Turn on push notifications

After installing, you'll be asked whether you'd like notifications for the latest updates: select Enable. Choose "maybe later"? You can turn them on any time from your member Settings with the Push notifications toggle — it's per device, so your phone and laptop are controlled separately.

See Managing your community notifications as a member for what you'll be notified about.

Need help setting up your mobile app for your community?

Community questions or technical difficulties: contact the community owner. If necessary, the community owner can reach out to beehiiv on your behalf. 

Frequently asked questions about setting up the mobile app as a community member

Why can't I find this app in the App Store or Google Play?

Because it isn't distributed that way. The community app is a Progressive Web App (PWA): a website that installs to your home screen directly from your browser instead of through an app store. Searching the App Store or Google Play for it won't turn up anything, since it was never published there. Use the install steps above instead.

Is this a real app, or just a bookmark?

It's more than a bookmark. Once installed, the community opens in its own full-screen window with its own icon, with no browser address bar or tabs around it, and it can send you push notifications. The difference from a native app is how it's built and delivered, not how it looks or feels day to day.

Will I still get push notifications without a "real" app?

Yes. PWAs support push notifications the same way native apps do. You'll be prompted to enable them right after installing, and you can turn them on or off any time from your member Settings with the Push notifications toggle.

Do I need to update it like other apps?

No separate update step is needed. Because a PWA runs from the web, you'll always see the current version of the community when you open it.

I installed it, but it opens in Safari or Chrome with the address bar showing. What happened?

That usually means it opened as a browser tab instead of the installed app. Close it and open the icon from your Home Screen instead of a bookmark or browser history link. On iPhone or iPad, also confirm the Open as Web App toggle was on when you added it (see the iOS steps above).

Can I install it on more than one device?

Yes. Repeat the install steps on each phone, tablet, or computer you want the community on. Push notifications are controlled per device, so you'll need to enable them separately on each one.

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