What community owners should know about the community app

Your community can be installed as an app right from a member's mobile browser. This article covers what that setting does for you as the community owner, why installing (not just bookmarking) is what unlocks push notifications, and how to set expectations with your members so they don't go looking for it in the App Store.

The app your members install is a Progressive Web App (PWA): your community, added to a member's home screen so it opens full screen with its own icon, rather than a separate app downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

Your community can be installed as an app right from a member's mobile browser. This article covers what that setting does for you as the community owner, why installing (not just bookmarking) is what unlocks push notifications, and how to set expectations with your members so they don't go looking for it in the App Store.

Because it's the same site members already use, there's nothing to submit and nothing that needs approval before members can have it. It also always reflects your live community, since there's no separate app version that needs updating.

The practical implication for you: members searching the App Store or Google Play for your community's name won't find anything, because it was never published there. That's expected, not a bug, but it's also the single most common source of confusion for new members, so it's worth getting ahead of.

For the exact install steps you can point members to, see Setting up the mobile app for your community membership.

The app is controlled by the Enable mobile app toggle ('Let members install your community as an app and receive push notifications'), which you set during the Build step of the community setup wizard. It's turned on by default. Like the other Build-step options, you can change it later from Settings.

Check out Creating your community on beehiiv for the full setup wizard walkthrough, including this and the other Build-step options.

Members don't have to go looking for the install option themselves. An install callout appears automatically to members who are logged in, already part of your community, and viewing a Community page. If a member dismisses it, it stays dismissed, though they can always find the install option again later in their member settings.

What happens after a member taps that callout depends on their device:

• On Android, Chrome can offer a genuine one-tap install prompt. One catch: Chrome decides when that prompt becomes available, so the install button can appear greyed out for a moment before it's ready. That's expected, not a bug.
• On iPhone or iPad, Apple doesn't give browsers a triggerable install prompt, so members instead follow a short set of manual steps (opening the Share menu and choosing Add to Home Screen). See Setting up the mobile app for your community membership for the full walkthrough you can send them.

A short, proactive note goes a long way here. A few ways to set the expectation early:

• Pin a post in your General channel introducing the app and linking members to the install steps, so it's the first thing new members see. Read Creating, pinning, and managing community posts for how pinning works.
• Use plain language, not 'PWA.' Members don't need the technical term. 'Add our community to your home screen, right from your browser, no app store needed' gets the point across without introducing new jargon.
• Say directly that it won't be in the App Store. Naming the exact confusion ('you won't find this by searching the App Store or Google Play, here's how to install it instead') heads off the most common support question before it becomes one.
• Share this helpful video: We created a short video for you to share with your community members. Share this link with any members who are using IPhone or IPad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDaVgzusBaU
• If a member says the Android install button looks greyed out, let them know that's just Chrome taking a moment to make the prompt available, not a bug. It usually only takes a moment.