Install the Ava Portal App | iPhone & Android Guide

The Ava Department Portal can be installed as an app on your iPhone or Android phone — no app store needed. Once installed, it opens in full screen like a native app, with its own icon on your home screen.

You must be logged in to the portal first (or at least on the login page) before following the steps below. The app will point to your server automatically.

🤖 Android (Chrome)

Open the Ava Portal website in Chrome on your Android phone. Make sure you're logged in or on the login page.

You should see an "Install Ava Portal App" banner at the bottom of the screen. Tap the gold Install button.

If you don't see the banner, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of Chrome, then tap "Add to Home screen" or "Install app".

Confirm by tapping "Add" or "Install". The Ava Portal icon will appear on your home screen.

Note: If you dismissed the install banner, you can always install via the Chrome menu (⋮ → "Add to Home screen"). The banner won't reappear for 7 days after dismissing it.

🍎 iPhone & iPad (Safari)

Open the Ava Portal website in Safari on your iPhone or iPad. Make sure you're logged in or on the login page.

You should see an "Install Ava Portal App" banner at the bottom with instructions. If you don't see it, tap the Share button ⬆️ at the bottom of the screen (the square with the up arrow).

Scroll down the Share menu and tap "Add to Home Screen" ➕.

You can rename the app if you want (default is "Ava Portal"), then tap "Add" in the top-right corner. The icon will appear on your home screen.

Important: iPhone users must use Safari — Chrome and other browsers on iOS do not support "Add to Home Screen" with full-screen app mode. The app will open in full screen without the Safari address bar.

📲

Home Screen Icon

Tap to open instantly, just like a native app

🖥️

Full Screen

No browser address bar — more screen space

📶

Works Offline

App shell loads even with poor connection

🔔

Notifications

Bell icon shows new work order alerts. Enable push for lock-screen alerts!

📱 Enable Lock-Screen Push Notifications

Once the app is installed, you can turn on push notifications so you get a lock-screen alert whenever a new work order is submitted — even when the app is closed.

Open the Ava Portal app and tap the bell icon (🔔) in the top-right corner of the header.

In the notification panel, tap the "Enable push notifications" button.

Your phone will ask for permission to show notifications. Tap Allow.

That's it! You'll now receive lock-screen alerts when a work order is submitted. To turn them off later, tap the same button (it will say "Disable push notifications").

Note for iPhone users: Push notifications require iOS 16.4 or later, and the app must be installed from Safari (added to your home screen). Make sure you've installed the app using the Safari instructions above before enabling push.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to download from an app store?

No. The Ava Portal is a Progressive Web App (PWA). You install it directly from the web browser by adding it to your home screen. No app store, no download, no updates to manage.

Will it work without internet?

The app shell (the interface) loads from cache, so the app opens quickly even offline. However, you need an internet connection to load and submit work orders, reports, and calendar data from the server.

What URL does the app point to?

The app points to your Ava Portal server — the same URL you used to open the website. When you install it from your phone, it automatically connects to your server.

I dismissed the install banner — how do I get it back?

On Android, use the Chrome menu (⋮) and tap "Add to Home screen." On iPhone, use the Share button (⬆️) and tap "Add to Home Screen." The banner resets after 7 days.

Do I need to install it again after logging in?

No. Once installed, the app remembers your login session. Just tap the icon on your home screen and you'll go straight to the portal.