How Offline Guides Work
Everything you need to know about Add to Home Screen, offline access, and what your guests see when there's no Wi-Fi.
Last reviewed: September 2026
What is Add to Home Screen?
Add to Home Screen lets your guests save your guide directly to their phone, just like an app. There's no app store, no download, and no account needed. Your guest simply taps a button and the guide appears on their home screen, ready to open anytime.
Once saved, the guide works even without an internet connection. Text, images, and property information are all cached on the guest's device so they can access critical details (like your WiFi password or check-in instructions) even if they lose signal.
Pro Tip
This feature is opt-in. You can enable it per property in your property settings under the "Add to Home Screen" toggle.Is This an App? Do Guests Need to Download Anything?
No. There's nothing to download from the App Store or Google Play. Your guest simply saves your guide link to their phone's home screen - like a bookmark, but one that works offline.
You might hear the technical term "PWA" (Progressive Web App). That's just a fancy way of saying "a website that can be saved to your home screen and works without internet." Your guests don't need to know any of this. They just tap one button and it works.
The guide looks and feels like a native app: it opens full-screen, has your property's icon, and launches instantly. But under the hood, it's simply your guide URL saved as a shortcut. No app store. No updates. No storage worries.
Tell your guests
There is nothing to download from the App Store or Google Play. Just tap "Add to Home Screen" and you're done. It takes 2 seconds.How It Works (Step by Step)
1Guest opens your guide link
The guest visits your unique guide URL (e.g. checkinguide.app/g/your-property) on their phone. The guide loads normally in their browser.
2Save the guide to the home screen
The guest saves the guide to their home screen using their device's built-in feature. If you've enabled the Add to Home Screen widget on your guide, guests will see a helpful prompt explaining how to do this.
iPhone (Safari)
Tap the Share button (square with arrow) → scroll down → tap "Add to Home Screen". Note: this only works in Safari, not Chrome or other browsers.
Android (Chrome)
Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner → tap "Add to Home Screen" or "Install app".
3Guide appears on the home screen
The guide now sits on the guest's home screen with your property's icon. Tapping it opens the guide instantly in a full-screen experience with no browser bars and no distractions. It looks and feels like a native app.
Live vs Offline: The Status Indicator
Your guests will see a small status indicator at the top of the guide that tells them whether they're viewing the latest version or a saved offline copy. Here's what each state looks like:
LiveConnected to the internet
The guest is viewing the latest version of your guide. All content, including videos and maps, works normally.
OfflineNo internet connection
The guest is viewing a saved copy. Text and images still work, but videos and maps will show a placeholder.
Good to know
The status dot updates automatically. When the guest reconnects to Wi-Fi, it switches back to green without them needing to do anything.What Works Offline
When a guest saves your guide and later opens it without an internet connection, the following content is fully available:
All text content and instructionsImages, photo galleries and slideshowsWiFi network name and passwordContact details (host phone, email)Check-in / check-out timesHouse rules and property infoWhat Doesn't Work Offline
Some content requires an active internet connection. When the guest is offline, these will show a friendly placeholder instead of a broken player:
YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia videosGoogle Maps and map embedsExternal iframes and widgetsWhat guests see instead:
Video unavailable offline
Reconnect to Wi-Fi to watch
Best Practice: Always Add Written Backup
If your guide contains a video explaining something important (like how to enter the property, operate the heating, or use the coffee machine), we strongly recommend also typing out those instructions as text in the same section.
Why this matters
Guests often arrive at rural properties or areas with poor signal. If your only check-in instruction is a video, they could be locked out. A written backup ensures they always have the information they need.1Add your video as normal
Embed your YouTube or Vimeo walkthrough in the guide section.
2Add a text block below the video
Write out the same instructions in plain text. For example: "The lockbox is on the left side of the front door. The code is 1234. Turn the dial clockwise, then pull down."
Before You Travel: Save Your Guide
To make sure your guide works offline during your trip, follow these two simple steps before you leave home:
1Add the guide to your home screen
Open the guide link your host sent you and save it to your phone's home screen. On iPhone, tap the Share button then "Add to Home Screen". On Android, tap the three-dot menu then "Add to Home Screen".
2Open the guide once while on Wi-Fi
Before you leave for the airport (or anywhere without signal), open the guide from your home screen while you're still connected to Wi-Fi. This ensures all the text, images, and property details are saved to your device. That's it - you're ready to go.
Why this matters
The guide can only be saved for offline use after you've opened it at least once. If you don't open the guide before losing internet, there's nothing cached on your device yet. A quick 10-second visit while on Wi-Fi is all it takes.How long is the guide saved?
Guide data stays saved on your guest's device for up to 30 days. The 30-day window resets every time the guide is opened while connected to the internet, so guests who check the guide regularly will always have a fresh offline copy.How Content Stays Fresh
When a guest who has saved the guide reconnects to the internet, the guide automatically fetches the latest version from the server. They'll see up-to-date content immediately without needing to do anything - no refresh button, no manual update.
Here's the simple rule: online = always fresh, offline = saved copy.
Connected to internet
Always fetches the latest guide content directly from the server. If your host updates the WiFi password 5 minutes ago, you'll see the new one.
No internet connection
Uses the saved copy from the last time you opened the guide online. All text and images are available as they were.
Urgent updates?
If you've just changed something critical (like a new door code), ask your guest to fully close the guide and reopen it while connected to Wi-Fi. This forces a fresh download of the latest content.How Long Is Guide Data Saved?
Once a guest opens your guide, the content is saved on their device for up to 30 days. This includes all text, images, WiFi details, contact information, and property instructions.
This means a guest who receives your guide link a week before their trip can open it at home, and it will still work perfectly when they land at their destination 7 days later - even without an internet connection.
Example timeline
Monday - Guest opens guide at home on Wi-Fi. Content is saved.
Saturday - Guest boards flight, no internet. Opens guide offline - everything works.
Saturday evening - Guest arrives, connects to property Wi-Fi. Guide refreshes automatically with latest content.
30-day safety net
The 30-day window resets every time the guest opens the guide while connected to the internet. So a returning guest who checks the guide regularly will always have an up-to-date offline copy.What Happens If a Guest Clears Their Cache or Cookies?
If a guest clears their browser cache, cookies, or website data, the saved offline copy of the guide will be removed from their device. This means the guide won't be available offline until they open it again while connected to the internet.
What's lost
The saved offline copy (text, images, property data). The guide link itself still works - it's just no longer available without internet.
How to fix it
Simply open the guide again while connected to Wi-Fi. The content will be re-cached automatically. No need to re-add it to the home screen.
Pro Tip
Clearing cache is uncommon for most guests. The home screen shortcut itself is not affected - only the saved offline data is removed. The guest can restore it with a single visit while online.FAQ & Troubleshooting
How long is guide data saved on my device?
Guide data is saved for up to 30 days. This includes all text, images, WiFi details, and property information. The 30-day window resets every time you open the guide while connected to the internet.
Do I need to open the guide before travelling?
Yes. The guide needs to be opened at least once while connected to Wi-Fi so that the content can be saved to your device. We recommend opening it before you leave home or the airport. A quick 10-second visit is all it takes.
What happens if I clear my cookies or browser cache?
Clearing your browser cache removes the saved offline copy of the guide. The guide link still works, but you'll need to open it again while on Wi-Fi to re-cache the content for offline use. The home screen shortcut is not affected.
Will I always see the latest version of the guide?
Yes, as long as you're connected to the internet. The guide always fetches the latest content from the server when you're online. The cached copy is only used when you have no internet connection.
Does it use a lot of storage on the guest's phone?
No. A typical guide uses less than 5 MB, far less than a single app download. The cached data includes text and compressed images only.
Can guests remove it from their home screen?
Yes. They can long-press the icon and delete it just like any other app. This also clears the cached data.
How do guests save the guide to their home screen?
On iPhone, guests must use Safari - tap the Share button (square with arrow), scroll down, and tap "Add to Home Screen". On Android (Chrome), tap the three-dot menu (⋮) then "Add to Home Screen" or "Install app". Make sure the "Add to Home Screen" toggle is enabled in your property settings so guests see a helpful widget explaining how to do this.
Does this work on desktop/laptop?
Add to Home Screen primarily targets mobile devices. On desktop, Chrome may offer an install option, but the feature is designed for phones where offline access matters most.
What if the guest never goes offline?
That's perfectly fine! The guide works identically whether accessed from the home screen or the browser. The offline capability is just a bonus.
Do I need to do anything special to enable offline?
No. Once you enable "Add to Home Screen" in your property settings, offline caching is handled automatically. There's nothing extra to configure.
Is this the same as downloading an app from the App Store?
No. There's nothing to download or install from any app store. Your guest simply saves the guide link to their home screen, like a bookmark that works offline. It takes 2 seconds.
What if my guest doesn't add the guide to their home screen?
The guide still works perfectly in the browser. However, offline caching works best when the guide is saved to the home screen. Guests who only visit via the browser link may still benefit from some caching, but it's less reliable across devices.
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