New Feature Introducing the forum mobile apps (Android/iOS/PWA) ~ with installation instructions

Using the forum mobile apps

** We are using PWA technology, so they are NOT installed through the App Store **
​

I had been holding off writing this until we had both Android and iOS apps released, which as of iOS 16.4 (this is a requirement) is now the case, so I'm happy to present to you instructions on installing both versions, as well as enabling push notifications

---

Frequently Asked Questions

What are push notifications?
A fancy name for instant notifications - basically the notifications and alerts you get in your notification bar and/or lock screen. Before we had this, we had to rely on email alerts which really wasn't the best. But as of now, you can get instant alerts as soon as something relevant happens on the forum, along with direct links to that action - nice!

What is a PWA?
PWA stands for Progressive Web App and at it's basic level, it allows you to install a website as an app. The benefit of this is you don't need to code separate apps as everything uses the same codebase. You still get an app experience though, with an icon on your home screen, notification badges (the number next to the icon) as well as the instant notifications.

Do I need to install it on my home screen?
For Apple, if you want alerts then yes, that's their strict rule. For Android, you can just enable push alerts without actually installing to your home screen (scroll to the bottom for a video on how to do that)

Can I decide what alerts I get?
Yes you can! You will always get notifications related to any watched items (so new replies, new threads etc) but you can decide separately if you want notifications for conversation messages, thanks, likes, quotes and many other things by heading to the account preferences page and ticking (or unticking) the relevant options.



You might also want to turn off email alerts altogether now if you are going to exclusively use your mobile - one less thing to check

---

Installation Guides

See the separate thread here for instructions on how to get setup.

---

And there you go - should have everything covered now If I've missed anything do let me know and please post any comments or suggestions on this thread if something else isn't quite right.

Other than that - enjoy the new experience!

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Hi Ben;
Installed OK but is there any way to have it open directly on the 500 (2007+) forum without having to select it from the list every time?

 

[ben]

Hi Ben;
Installed OK but is there any way to have it open directly on the 500 (2007+) forum without having to select it from the list every time?

There isn't right now, but I like the idea. I'll need to take a delve into the source code to see what's possible

Created an idea request here:

Under Consideration - Set pwa index to custom location

Installed OK but is there any way to have it open directly on the 500 (2007+) forum without having to select it from the list every time? Have an option in the user control panel to set a forum listing as the homepage.

www.fiatforum.com

 

[shvdwalt]

View attachment 424420
Using the forum mobile apps

** We are using PWA technology, so they are NOT installed through the App Store **
​

I had been holding off writing this until we had both Android and iOS apps released, which as of iOS 16.4 (this is a requirement) is now the case, so I'm happy to present to you instructions on installing both versions, as well as enabling push notifications

---

Frequently Asked Questions

What are push notifications?
A fancy name for instant notifications - basically the notifications and alerts you get in your notification bar and/or lock screen. Before we had this, we had to rely on email alerts which really wasn't the best. But as of now, you can get instant alerts as soon as something relevant happens on the forum, along with direct links to that action - nice!

What is a PWA?
PWA stands for Progressive Web App and at it's basic level, it allows you to install a website as an app. The benefit of this is you don't need to code separate apps as everything uses the same codebase. You still get an app experience though, with an icon on your home screen, notification badges (the number next to the icon) as well as the instant notifications.

Do I need to install it on my home screen?
For Apple, if you want alerts then yes, that's their strict rule. For Android, you can just enable push alerts without actually installing to your home screen (scroll to the bottom for a video on how to do that)

Can I decide what alerts I get?
Yes you can! You will always get notifications related to any watched items (so new replies, new threads etc) but you can decide separately if you want notifications for conversation messages, thanks, likes, quotes and many other things by heading to the account preferences page and ticking (or unticking) the relevant options.

View attachment 424306

You might also want to turn off email alerts altogether now if you are going to exclusively use your mobile - one less thing to check

View attachment 424307

---

Installation Guides

You can follow along with the installation videos or click the button below them to display step by step instructions

Android

View attachment 424288

Show step by step instructions

1. Click the hamburger menu at the top left of the site then scroll to the bottom of the menu and click the "Install" button.
   View attachment 424281​
2. Confirm you wish to install.
   View attachment 424282​
3. Click Add to actually add the icon.
   View attachment 424283​
4. Go back to your home screen and you'll see the wonderful new icon Click that to open up the PWA.​
5. Head over to the Account Preferences page.
   View attachment 424284​
6. Scroll down until you see the "Enable Push Notifications" button then smash it!
   View attachment 424285​
7. If you get a "notifications blocked" alert, click OK, then "Allow for this site".
   View attachment 424286​
8. If all went well, the forum will send you a test notification and you're all good to go
   View attachment 424287​

iOS

View attachment 424289

Show step by step instructions

1. Firstly, load up the forum in Safari (it won't work in another browser) - then open up the menu block at the bottom (View attachment 424293) and select "Add to Home Screen".View attachment 424292​
2. You can select the defaults on the next page, or give the forum a special name if you want!
   View attachment 424295​
3. You'll be taken back to the home screen, so can then click the new forum icon to load up the app.​
4. At this point you will be logged out, so you'll need to log back in.​
5. Once logged in, a new prompt will appear at the bottom of the page asking for permission to enable notifications, click the "enable push notifications" text
   View attachment 424296
   (If this doesn't pop-up - see the video below for how to enable them independently)​
6. Your iPhone will then ask if you are ok with this, so click allow.
   View attachment 424297​
7. And then just like with Android, you'll get a text notification pop up to let you know all is well - noice!
   View attachment 424298​

Enabling Push Notifications Separately

If you accidentally disable push notifications (or you didn't allow them in the first place) they can be turned on from your account preferences page.


View attachment 424299

Show step by step instructions

1. Click on your user avatar in the address bar to bring up the account menu, then click on the Account Preferences link.
   View attachment 424284
   
2. Scroll down until you see the "Enable Push Notifications" button then smash it!
   View attachment 424285
   
3. If you had blocked notifications before, then you will be asked to reconfirm you want them - do so, and you're all set!

---

And there you go - should have everything covered now If I've missed anything do let me know and please post any comments or suggestions on this thread if something else isn't quite right.

Other than that - enjoy the new experience!

I do not have the install button

 

[SB1500]

ahh I miss the App Store app, but this does the job fine and the website runs flawlessly in browser. I take it the cost / upkeep of the platform specific app store apps just wasn't worth it?

 

[ben]

ahh I miss the App Store app, but this does the job fine and the website runs flawlessly in browser. I take it the cost / upkeep of the platform specific app store apps just wasn't worth it?

Yeah, especially as it meant every time I added a new site feature - it would need to also then be written into the app, for both Android and iOS. Nightmare!

Actually, iOS now supports PWA with Chrome too so it's not necessary to use Safari, but I'm not in Taiwan at the moment (which is where my iPhone is) so I can't record a new instructional video!

 

[SB1500]

Yeah, especially as it meant every time I added a new site feature - it would need to also then be written into the app, for both Android and iOS. Nightmare!

Actually, iOS now supports PWA with Chrome too so it's not necessary to use Safari, but I'm not in Taiwan at the moment (which is where my iPhone is) so I can't record a new instructional video!

makes sense. Someone told me a long time ago that the web is the future and that apps are just a step along the way. Looks like it's materialising nowadays with all the in-browser experiences and the capability of the modern web being a much more universal solution for all parties.

Glad to see it. Noticed a lot of improvements to the site since my hiatus from early 2021 until mid 2023 when I came back

 

[ben]

makes sense. Someone told me a long time ago that the web is the future and that apps are just a step along the way. Looks like it's materialising nowadays with all the in-browser experiences and the capability of the modern web being a much more universal solution for all parties.

Glad to see it. Noticed a lot of improvements to the site since my hiatus from early 2021 until mid 2023 when I came back

The only thing I miss from an app side of things (although we never had this before) - is to be able to send photos directly from the phones gallery to the forum gallery here. So instead of needing to go in the app and select the category etc, just use the phones default "share to" function and the forum would be listed there.

Maybe one day! Until then, the gallery lays dormant!

 

[SB1500]

The only thing I miss from an app side of things (although we never had this before) - is to be able to send photos directly from the phones gallery to the forum gallery here. So instead of needing to go in the app and select the category etc, just use the phones default "share to" function and the forum would be listed there.

Maybe one day! Until then, the gallery lays dormant!

Ah yeah, in iOS at the minute, I'm having issues with the iOS native format of something like .heic for images, it uploads then says file type not supported. But if I go into the gallery again and re-upload, it works and uploads as a .jpeg. I think it's something to do with the iOS / iCloud Drive for Photos API as once it's downloaded it seems to auto convert it to jpeg. But it's not a major issue, but I think the app would automatically solve / convert it

 

[GettinBetter]

Brilliant, I no longer use the virus that is named google, and usually use an APK installer. Not having to use google makes me smile.

Just one problem, where's the download button?

 

[ben]

Brilliant, I no longer use the virus that is named google, and usually use an APK installer. Not having to use google makes me smile.

Just one problem, where's the download button?

There is no download button

See the installation thread for info

Installing the forum mobile apps (Android/iOS/PWA)

Using the forum mobile apps ** We are using PWA technology, so they are NOT installed through the App Store ** I had been holding off writing this until we had both Android and iOS apps released, which as of iOS 16.4 (this is a requirement) is now the case, so I'm happy to present to you...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[GettinBetter]

Ah, feeling suitably stupid now...... even more gutted that my crappy phablet won't update from Android 9.0.
I'll have another look at it when I'm in the mood.

 

[Dickschiff]

Hi Ben,
I searched the entire forum and couldn't find the app
Where can I get it?
Yours
Ulrich

View attachment 424420
Using the forum mobile apps

** We are using PWA technology, so they are NOT installed through the App Store **
​

I had been holding off writing this until we had both Android and iOS apps released, which as of iOS 16.4 (this is a requirement) is now the case, so I'm happy to present to you instructions on installing both versions, as well as enabling push notifications

---

Frequently Asked Questions

What are push notifications?
A fancy name for instant notifications - basically the notifications and alerts you get in your notification bar and/or lock screen. Before we had this, we had to rely on email alerts which really wasn't the best. But as of now, you can get instant alerts as soon as something relevant happens on the forum, along with direct links to that action - nice!

What is a PWA?
PWA stands for Progressive Web App and at it's basic level, it allows you to install a website as an app. The benefit of this is you don't need to code separate apps as everything uses the same codebase. You still get an app experience though, with an icon on your home screen, notification badges (the number next to the icon) as well as the instant notifications.

Do I need to install it on my home screen?
For Apple, if you want alerts then yes, that's their strict rule. For Android, you can just enable push alerts without actually installing to your home screen (scroll to the bottom for a video on how to do that)

Can I decide what alerts I get?
Yes you can! You will always get notifications related to any watched items (so new replies, new threads etc) but you can decide separately if you want notifications for conversation messages, thanks, likes, quotes and many other things by heading to the account preferences page and ticking (or unticking) the relevant options.

View attachment 424306

You might also want to turn off email alerts altogether now if you are going to exclusively use your mobile - one less thing to check

View attachment 424307

---

Installation Guides

See the separate thread here for instructions on how to get setup.

---

And there you go - should have everything covered now If I've missed anything do let me know and please post any comments or suggestions on this thread if something else isn't quite right.

Other than that - enjoy the new experience!

 

[Kelvinjohn]

Hi Ben,
I searched the entire forum and couldn't find the app
Where can I get it?
Yours
Ulrich

How can I do that?

 

[ben]

How can I do that?

It's explained in the first post - there are no app store apps, rather a PWA system

See here how to use:

Installing the forum mobile apps (Android/iOS/PWA)

Using the forum mobile apps ** We are using PWA technology, so they are NOT installed through the App Store ** I had been holding off writing this until we had both Android and iOS apps released, which as of iOS 16.4 (this is a requirement) is now the case, so I'm happy to present to you...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[the green vanper]

Hmmm.. wanted to install the app following @ben 's confirmation there will be no tapatalk compatibility. I'm following the link from post #15, then detailed instructions for android, but at the bottom of the hamburger menu there isn't the 'Install the app' line. It ends on 'shop' Any ideas?

 

[Zardo]

I've asked ChatGPT about this:

Explanation of the Setup​

The forum is using Progressive Web App (PWA) technology, which means that instead of downloading a traditional app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, you install the forum as a web-based app directly from your browser. A PWA behaves like a native app but is essentially a website with app-like features, such as:

• Home screen icon: It looks like an app and launches in a standalone window rather than a browser tab.
• Offline support: Some PWAs can work with limited functionality even when offline.
• Push notifications: You can receive instant alerts about forum activity (new messages, replies, likes, etc.).
• Faster loading times: PWAs often cache content to improve performance.

How to Install the Forum PWA on an Android Phone​

1. Open the Forum in Chrome
   • Use Google Chrome (or another PWA-compatible browser like Edge or Brave) to visit the forum's website.
2. Look for the "Install" Prompt
   • Some forums automatically show a prompt like "Add to Home Screen".
   • If you don’t see a prompt, tap the three-dot menu in Chrome (top-right corner).
3. Select "Install App" or "Add to Home Screen"
   • This will install the PWA and place an icon on your home screen, similar to a normal app.
4. Enable Push Notifications (Optional)
   • Once installed, log into the forum.
   • Navigate to Account Preferences or Notification Settings.
   • Look for an option to enable push notifications and grant the necessary browser permissions.

Alternative: Enable Push Notifications Without Installing the PWA​

If you don’t want to install the PWA but still want push notifications:

1. Go to the Forum Website in Chrome.
2. Log into your account.
3. When prompted, allow notifications.
   • If no prompt appears, go to Chrome’s settings:
     Settings → Site settings → Notifications → Allow notifications for the forum.

After this, you will receive instant alerts in your notification bar whenever something important happens on the forum.

 

[ben]

Hmmm.. wanted to install the app following @ben 's confirmation there will be no tapatalk compatibility. I'm following the link from post #15, then detailed instructions for android, but at the bottom of the hamburger menu there isn't the 'Install the app' line. It ends on 'shop' Any ideas?

Which browser are you using?
Are you logged in at the time?

 

[the green vanper]

Firefox focus. Same on standard firefox. It seems it can be covered by the address bar on the bottom tough

Yes, logged in to be sure it's not available only for registered users.

 

[Zardo]

Hmmm.. wanted to install the app following @ben 's confirmation there will be no tapatalk compatibility. I'm following the link from post #15, then detailed instructions for android, but at the bottom of the hamburger menu there isn't the 'Install the app' line. It ends on 'shop' Any ideas?

I just installed it using Chrome on Android. There is the "install app" link at the bottom (below "shop") in the website menu.

However, using the Adblock Browser, the "install app" link is indeed missing. But Adblock Browser can disable a lot of things, if need be.