Installing the Customer App
What This Is
The CSM Customer Portal can be installed on a customer’s phone just like a regular app — no App Store, no Play Store, no download required. Once installed it lives on their home screen, opens full-screen, and can receive push notifications when the shop sends a message. This is called a Progressive Web App (PWA).
Customers can find the install guide inside the portal itself: Settings → Install the App. Share the direct link to that page if they need help: /customer_install.php
Android — Chrome
These steps work on any Android phone or tablet using Google Chrome.
- Open the Customer Portal in Chrome.
- Tap the ⋮ three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Tap “Add to Home Screen.”
- Tap Add to confirm.
Chrome may also show an automatic install banner at the bottom of the screen on its own after the customer has visited the portal at least once. Either method works.
iPhone / iPad — Safari
- Open the Customer Portal in Safari.
- Tap the Share button — the box with an arrow pointing up. On iPhone it is at the bottom of the screen; on iPad it is at the top.
- Scroll down in the share sheet and tap “Add to Home Screen.”
- Tap Add in the top-right corner to confirm.
The portal icon will appear on the home screen. Opening it from there launches it full-screen without the Safari browser toolbar.
Push Notifications
Once installed, customers can enable push notifications so they are alerted the moment the shop sends a message — even if the portal is not open.
How to enable
- After installing, open the portal from the home screen icon.
- A blue banner appears at the top: “Get notified when your shop sends updates.”
- Tap Enable notifications and allow when the phone asks.
If the customer tapped Block by mistake
The browser will not ask again automatically. The customer needs to go to their phone’s browser settings, find the portal site, and change the notification permission to Allow.
- Android Chrome: Chrome menu → Settings → Site settings → Notifications → find the portal URL → Allow.
- iPhone Safari: iOS Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data — or go to Settings → Notifications → Safari and check per-site settings.
iOS version requirement
Push notifications on iPhone require iOS 16.4 or later and the portal must be installed to the home screen — they do not work from the Safari browser tab. Customers on older iOS versions will still receive email when the shop sends a message.
Requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| HTTPS | The portal must be served over a secure HTTPS connection. Both the install prompt and push notifications are blocked by all browsers over plain HTTP. CSM’s live server uses HTTPS automatically. |
| Chrome (Android) | Any current version of Chrome on Android. |
| Safari (iOS) | Safari 16.4 or later for push notifications; any Safari version for install. |
| VAPID keys | Must be generated once by the platform admin (Admin → Integrations → PWA / Push Notifications → Configure). Without these, push notifications are silently skipped and email is sent instead. |