Keep your jury one tap away.

Install BuyPass as an app (PWA)

BuyPass is a Progressive Web App: installed straight from the browser to your home screen, no app store involved. Once installed it gets its own icon, a standalone window, a full-screen feel, and offline caching for core pages. Installation is entirely optional — every feature also works in a normal browser tab.

Install steps per platform

iPhone / iPad (Safari)

• Open this site in Safari.
• Tap the Share button in the toolbar.
• Choose “Add to Home Screen” and confirm the name.

Android (Chrome / Edge)

• Open the site in Chrome.
• Tap the “Install” icon at the right of the address bar, or find “Install app / Add to Home screen” in the menu.
• Confirm; an icon appears on your home screen.

Windows / macOS (Chrome / Edge)

• Look for the “Install” icon at the right of the address bar (or “Install BuyPass” in the menu).
• Confirm; BuyPass then runs in its own window and appears in your app list.

What works offline — and what cannot

• Works: browsing cached pages and drafting a purchase request. Drafts stay on your device and are submitted only after you confirm once you are back online.
• Does not work: any server-confirmed action — submitting, voting, writing advice, issuing receipts.
• The offline page states this plainly; it never fakes a “submitted” confirmation.

One suggestion before you install

Installing the PWA does not migrate your identity — it opens the same site, and within the same browser your identity carries over. But if you plan to switch devices or clear browser data, first generate and back up the private binding ID on the identity page; it is the only key that restores your requests and voting history.

How updates work in a PWA

The installed app checks for updates in the background each time it opens: a new version takes effect on your next launch, with nothing to update manually. Urgent fixes can also land instantly — a web app always ships faster than an app store review queue.

• No update prompts, no version numbers to track.
• The offline shell updates alongside the app.
• You can always fall back to the plain website — same identity, same data.

Permissions: what it asks for and what it never will

BuyPass never requests location, camera, microphone, contacts, or push-notification permission — the server explicitly disables those capability policies. What it needs is storage (cache and drafts) and the network (to talk to the site). If your browser ever shows a permission prompt claiming to be BuyPass, it is not this site.

• No geolocation — approvals use coarse network regions only.
• No notifications — you check in when you want to.
• No background execution — closing the window is a full exit.

Troubleshooting installation

• No install icon? Confirm you are using a supported browser (Safari/Chrome/Edge) over https.
• Missing “Add to Home Screen” on iOS? Scroll the full share sheet — it is near the bottom.
• Installed but will not open? Clear the site’s storage and retry, or simply use the web version.
• Icon looks wrong? Reinstall; identity data is never affected.

What actually changes after installing

Three small things. An icon with the site’s name lands in your home screen or app list. Launching it opens a standalone window without the browser chrome — it feels like an app because it behaves like one. And the offline shell kicks in: cached pages still open without a connection, and the request form stays editable for drafting. Everything else is identical — same features, same data, same anonymous identity, because the installed app is literally the same origin with the same cookies. Installation is proximity, not migration.

• No second account, no re-import, no sync to configure.
• Uninstalling never touches your identity data.

The offline draft workflow, step by step

1. Open BuyPass normally while you still have a connection, once — that caches the shell.
2. Go offline and open “Submit a purchase”; the page tells you it is offline but editable.
3. Write your request. The draft saves to local storage automatically as you type.
4. When connectivity returns, open the draft, review it, and submit deliberately.
5. Submission passes the same AI content review as any online submission — offline never means unreviewed.

Uninstall, reinstall, and where your data lives

Uninstalling the PWA removes an icon and a cache — nothing else. Your identity and all site data live server-side, so a reinstall picks up exactly where the browser’s cookies left off: clear browsing history and the session drops, restore with the binding ID; keep history and it is as if you never left. The one thing genuinely lost on uninstall is local drafts — they lived in the browser storage that removal clears — so submit significant drafts before removing the app, or copy them somewhere safe. Everything else survives any install-uninstall-reinstall cycle without ceremony.

Frequently asked questions about BuyPass

Is the installed app identical to the website?

Yes. The PWA is the same site in an installed form: identical features, data and anonymous identity, plus a home-screen icon, a standalone window and offline drafts.

Does it use a lot of data?

No. Static assets (styles, scripts, icons) are cached after the first visit and updated incrementally; images are lazy-loaded and compressed.

How do I uninstall it?

Like any app: long-press or right-click the icon and remove it. Browsers also list installed apps in their settings. Uninstalling does not delete your anonymous identity data.

My browser shows no install option — now what?

Some browsers do not surface PWA install prompts. Simply bookmarking the site is nearly equivalent — every feature works on the web.

On iOS, is Safari required to install?

Yes. Add-to-Home-Screen PWA capability on iOS is provided by Safari/WebKit; third-party browsers cannot offer the full install experience yet.

How much storage does installation use?

Typically a few megabytes of cached assets, clearable anytime from the browser’s site settings.

Does the PWA linger in the background like native apps?

No. BuyPass requests no background execution and no push; closing the window exits completely.

Can I install on a corporate or campus network?

If the site loads normally, installation works; on networks that restrict service workers, the plain web version remains fully functional.

Does installing create a second identity?

No. The PWA opens the same origin with the same cookies, so your identity and history carry over untouched.

This page is maintained by the BuyPass team and was last updated in September 2026.