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

Run Game 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 Run Game opens from its own icon like any other app.

Why install it

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

• Full screen. No address bar or browser buttons taking up space. Just Run Game.
• Logging works offline. If you're in a basement bar with no signal, you can still log an approach. It syncs when you're back online.
• Notifications on iPhone. On an iPhone, notifications for friend requests, forum replies, and nearby plans on the Map only work when Run Game is installed on your home screen.
• Quicker access. When you've just finished a conversation, you want to log it in a couple of taps, not hunt for a browser tab.

iPhone (Safari)

On iPhone, you need to use Safari for this. Here's the whole thing, recorded on an iPhone 17 running iOS 26:

1. Open Safari and go to rungame.org.
2. Tap the three dots at the bottom right of the screen.
3. Tap Share.
4. Swipe up on the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
5. Leave Open as Web App switched on, then tap Add in the top right corner. The name Run Game is already filled in.
6. Open Run Game from the new icon on your home screen.

On iOS 18 and earlier, the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up) sits right in Safari's toolbar, so you can skip the three dots and start at step 3.

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

Android (Chrome)

Recorded on a Pixel running Android 15:

1. Open Chrome and go to rungame.org.
2. Tap the three dots at the top right.
3. Tap Add to Home screen. On some phones it's called Install app.
4. Tap Install.
5. If your phone asks, tap Add to home screen. Some phones add the icon on their own.
6. Open Run Game from the new icon on your home screen or in your app list.

Desktop (Chrome or Edge)

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

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

Run Game 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, on iOS 26 the share options are behind the three dots at the bottom right: tap them, then Share. Then swipe up. Add to Home Screen is below the first rows of options, so you need to 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 Run Game 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 or rejection. Successes and rejections count toward your totals and success rate. If you hesitate and don't go, jot it in the session's notes instead, 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 open the Map's Near you to post a plan and see who's going out within 50 miles, 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.