Keep it close

Put MayLou a tap away.

Add it to your phone’s home screen and it behaves like any other app — its own icon, full screen, no App Store required.

On an iPhone or iPad

Takes about twenty seconds. There is nothing to download and nothing to pay for.

  1. 1Open app.maylouonline.com in Safari. This only works in Safari — Apple doesn’t allow it from Chrome or other browsers on an iPhone.
  2. 2Tap the Share button — the square with an arrow pointing up out of it. On an iPhone it sits at the bottom of the screen; on an iPad it’s in the top-right.
  3. 3Scroll down that grey list of options and tap Add to Home Screen . You may need to scroll a little; it sits below Copy and Bookmark.
  4. 4You’ll see the MayLou name and icon. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
  5. 5Done. The hydrangea icon is now on your home screen, and it opens full screen with no browser bars.
One thing to expect. The first time you open the icon, you’ll be asked to sign in once more. Your iPhone keeps apps and the browser in separate compartments, so it doesn’t carry your sign-in across. It only happens that once.

On an Android phone

Chrome usually offers to do this for you.

  1. 1Open app.maylouonline.com in Chrome.
  2. 2If a bar appears at the bottom offering to install MayLou, tap it and you’re finished. If not, carry on.
  3. 3Tap the menu — three dots in the top-right corner.
  4. 4Tap Add to Home screen, or Install app if that’s what yours says.
  5. 5Confirm, and the icon lands on your home screen.

On a computer

Optional, but handy if you use MayLou at a desk.

  1. 1Open app.maylouonline.com in Chrome or Edge.
  2. 2Look at the right-hand end of the address bar for a small install icon — a screen with a downward arrow.
  3. 3Click it, then click Install. MayLou opens in its own window and appears with your other programs.

Questions people ask

Do I need the App Store?

No. MayLou runs on the web, so there is nothing to download, nothing to update, and no account with Apple or Google needed. Adding it to your home screen just gives it an icon. A native iPhone app is coming later — the home-screen version does the same job in the meantime.

Will it take up space on my phone?

Almost none — it’s a shortcut with an icon, not a downloaded program.

Why does it ask me to sign in again?

Your phone treats the home-screen app and the browser as two separate places, so a sign-in in one doesn’t carry to the other. Sign in once inside the app and it stays signed in.

Does it work without internet?

Not yet. MayLou needs a connection, because it’s showing you what the rest of your family has added.

How do I remove it?

The same way you’d remove any app — press and hold the icon, then delete it. Nothing in your care hub is lost; you’re only removing the shortcut.