Install the app

Protokol Lab installs as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on every platform, plus a native iOS app. Installed mode gets you faster launches, push notifications, and a real home-screen icon.

iPhone (iOS)

You have two options:

Option 1: Native iOS app (recommended)

The native app supports Sign in with Apple, Apple Push Notifications, and the system camera flow. Available from the App Store.

Option 2: Install the web app from Safari

WARNING

Safari only. iOS does not allow PWA installation from Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser on iPhone. If you're using a different browser, the install button won't appear.

1. Open the site in Safari.
2. Tap the Share button (the square with the arrow).
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
4. Confirm the name and tap Add.

The app icon appears on your home screen. Open from there — opening from Safari again puts you back in the browser tab, which doesn't deliver push notifications.

iPad (iPadOS)

Same as iPhone — use Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. The Share button is in the top-right corner on iPad rather than the bottom.

Android

Most Android browsers (Chrome, Edge, Samsung Internet, Firefox) support PWA install:

1. Open the site.
2. Tap the menu (three dots, top-right).
3. Tap Install app or Add to Home Screen.
4. Confirm.

If the menu doesn't show an install option, the browser may have already installed it — check your home screen first.

macOS / Windows / Linux desktop

In Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera):

1. Open the site.
2. Look for the install icon in the address bar (a small monitor with a download arrow).
3. Click Install.

In Safari on macOS:

1. File → Add to Dock… (Sonoma and later).

In Firefox: PWA install isn't supported. The site works fine as a regular tab.

After installing

A few things change once the app is installed:

• Push notifications become possible (the OS will ask for permission the first time something tries to send one).
• Faster cold starts — the app shell is cached locally so launches feel instant.
• The app appears separately from your browser, with its own window and home-screen icon.
• Your data syncs the same way — you're still signed in to the same account.

Verifying it's installed

The app remembers across sessions whether it's been installed on this device, so reinstall prompts don't keep appearing. If you want to check:

• iOS / iPadOS: open from the home-screen icon. The status bar should match the app's theme rather than Safari's address bar.
• Android: check your app drawer and home screen.
• Desktop: the app should open in its own window, not a browser tab.

Uninstalling

• iOS / iPadOS: long-press the icon, tap Remove App, then Delete App.
• Android: long-press the icon, drag to Uninstall.
• Desktop Chromium: in the installed app window, click the ⋯ menu → Uninstall Protokol Lab. Or visit chrome://apps.

Uninstalling doesn't delete your account or data. To do that, see Delete your account.

Push notifications

Notifications require both:

1. Installation (above), and
2. Permission granted in Settings → Notifications inside the app.

You'll get a system permission prompt the first time. If you decline, you can re-enable later from your device's settings:

• iOS: Settings → Notifications → Protokol Lab.
• Android: Settings → Apps → Protokol Lab → Notifications.
• macOS: System Settings → Notifications → Protokol Lab.

Troubleshooting

"Add to Home Screen isn't showing in Safari." You're probably in private browsing or a non-Safari browser. Switch to standard Safari and try again.

"The install button never appears in Chrome on Android." Chrome only shows it after you've spent a minute or two on the site. Reload, scroll around, then check the menu again.

"I installed but push notifications don't fire." Check that you opened from the installed icon, not the browser. Web push only works in the installed shell. Then verify Settings → Notifications inside the app, and your OS permission for the app.