Flow

How to install Flow on your home screen (iPhone and Android)

3 min read

Flow runs in your browser, but it works best when you add it to your home screen. It only takes a few taps, there's no app store involved, and once it's installed Flow opens from its own icon like any other app.

Why install it

You can use Flow in a browser tab, but installing it gets you a few real advantages.

iPhone (Safari)

On iPhone, you need to use Safari for this.

  1. Open Safari and go to flowstates.xyz.
  2. Tap the Share button. It's the square with an arrow pointing up.
  3. Scroll down the share sheet and choose Add to Home Screen.
  4. Tap Add.
  5. Go to your home screen and open Flow from the new icon.

That last step matters. To get notifications and the full-screen version, always open Flow from the home screen icon rather than from Safari.

Android (Chrome)

  1. Open Chrome and go to flowstates.xyz.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top corner.
  3. Choose Install app. On some phones it's called Add to Home screen instead.
  4. Confirm when Chrome asks.
  5. Open Flow from the new icon on your home screen or in your app list.

Desktop (Chrome or Edge)

Flow can also be installed on a computer, which is handy if you like writing longer field reports on a keyboard.

  1. Open flowstates.xyz in Chrome or Edge.
  2. Look for the install icon in the address bar, near the right-hand end.
  3. Click it and confirm.

Flow will open in its own window, and you can pin it to your taskbar or dock like any other app.

Troubleshooting

"I don't see Add to Home Screen" on iPhone

First, make sure you're in Safari. If you opened the link from inside another app, like a messaging or social app, you might be in that app's built-in browser instead. Copy the address, open Safari yourself, and paste it in.

Second, scroll. Add to Home Screen is often below the first row of options in the share sheet, so swipe up on the sheet to see the full list.

"I don't see Install app" on Android

Open the three-dot menu and look for either Install app or Add to Home screen. Different phones and Chrome versions use different labels. Either one works. If neither shows up, make sure you're in Chrome and that the page has fully loaded, then try again.

Notifications aren't coming through on iPhone

Check that you're opening Flow from the home screen icon, not from a Safari tab. Notifications on iPhone only work for the installed version. If you added it to your home screen but have been using Safari out of habit, switch to the icon.

I logged an approach with no signal. Did it save?

Yes. Logging works offline, and your approach will sync the next time you have a connection. You don't need to do anything.

I installed it twice

It happens. Just remove the extra icon the way you'd remove any app from your home screen, and keep one.

Once you're set up

Now the useful part: actually using it. Log each approach as a success, rejection, or pass from the home screen. Successes and rejections count toward your totals and success rate. Passes get logged too, but they don't count toward either, so your numbers stay honest. If you're not sure why this habit helps, read why tracking your approaches makes you better at them.

From there, you can check the Social tab to post a Wingman plan and see who's going out nearby, which is worth trying if you've been weighing going out alone vs with a wingman. And when a night teaches you something, post it in the forum. How to write a field report shows you how to make it useful for you and everyone reading.

See you out there.