PWA Install & Push Notifications

Install the EWT Voice Agent dashboard as a native-feeling app on your phone, and get instant push alerts when your AI receptionist takes a message.

1. What Is a PWA?

A Progressive Web App (PWA) lets you install a website as an app directly from your browser -- no App Store or Play Store required. Once installed, it appears on your home screen with its own icon, opens in a full-screen window (no browser chrome), and can receive push notifications even when you are not actively using it.

The EWT Voice Agent dashboard is a fully installable PWA. The install experience is slightly different between iOS and Android, but the result is the same: a fast, app-like interface for managing your voice agents on the go.

Installing the PWA is the recommended way to use the dashboard on mobile. Push notifications only work after installation.

2. Installing on iOS (iPhone & iPad)

Apple requires you to install PWAs through Safari. Chrome and other browsers on iOS cannot install PWAs to the home screen.

Open Safari

Navigate to call.essentialworktools.com/dashboard in Safari. Make sure you are logged in.

Tap the Share button

Tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen (a box with an arrow pointing up).

Tap "Add to Home Screen"

Scroll down in the share sheet and tap Add to Home Screen. You can rename the app if you like.

Tap "Add"

Confirm by tapping Add in the top-right corner. The app icon will appear on your home screen.

Important: iOS does NOT show an "Install App" prompt or banner. The Share → Add to Home Screen method above is the only way to install a PWA on iPhone/iPad. This is an Apple limitation, not a bug. Push notifications require iOS 16.4 or later.

3. Installing on Android

On Android, Chrome and most other browsers can prompt you to install a PWA automatically. Note: The "Install App" option only appears on Android — it does not exist on iOS.

Open Chrome (or your browser)

Navigate to call.essentialworktools.com/dashboard. Chrome will often show a banner at the bottom of the screen that says "Add EWT Voice Agent to Home Screen." Tap it to install immediately.

Or install manually from the menu

If no banner appears, tap the three-dot menu (top right) and select Add to Home Screen or Install App.

Confirm the install

Tap Install in the dialog. The app will be added to your home screen and app drawer.

4. Installing on Desktop

Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers support desktop PWA installation.

In Chrome or Edge, look for the install icon (a monitor with a down arrow) in the address bar.
Click it and select Install.
The dashboard opens as a standalone window with no browser tabs or address bar.

Firefox does not support PWA installation on desktop.

5. Enabling Push Notifications

After installing the PWA, you can opt in to push notifications so you get alerted instantly when your AI receptionist takes a message -- even when the app is closed.

Open the installed app

Launch EWT Voice Agent from your home screen (not from the browser).

Find the Enable Notifications button

On the dashboard home screen, tap Enable Notifications in the Quick Actions bar. Alternatively, go to Settings and toggle on push notifications from there.

Allow the permission prompt

Your browser or OS will show a permission dialog. Tap Allow to grant notification permission. If you deny it, you can re-enable it later through your device settings.

Push notifications require the PWA to be installed first. Enabling notifications from the regular browser tab will not work on iOS, and may have limited functionality on Android.

6. What Notifications Look Like

When your AI receptionist takes a message, you receive a push notification with:

Caller name (if captured during the call)
Receptionist name that handled the call
Short summary of the message

Tapping the notification opens the app directly to that message so you can read the full transcript, listen to the recording, or reply.

Notifications are sent only for messages taken by your receptionists -- not for outbound campaign calls or manual agent calls. If you want alerts for other events, check the Settings tab for each receptionist.

7. Deep Links, Daily Recap & Notification Bell

Deep-linked notifications

Push notifications now deep-link directly to the specific message when tapped. Instead of opening the dashboard home screen, tapping a notification takes you straight to the message that triggered it -- including the full transcript, caller details, and the Call Back button. This saves time when you receive multiple messages throughout the day.

Daily recap notification

At 6 PM local time each day, you receive a daily recap push notification summarizing the day's activity. The recap includes the total number of calls handled, messages taken, and any missed calls. This gives you a quick end-of-day snapshot without needing to open the dashboard.

Notification bell in the dashboard

The dashboard header now includes a notification bell icon that shows an unread count badge. The badge displays the number of unread messages across all your receptionists. Clicking the bell opens a dropdown with your most recent notifications. This provides an in-app alternative to push notifications for when you are already working in the dashboard.

The notification bell is always visible in the dashboard header -- even if you have not installed the PWA or enabled push notifications. It works purely within the browser.

8. Troubleshooting

I don't see "Add to Home Screen" on iOS

You must use Safari. Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers on iOS cannot install PWAs. Switch to Safari and try again.

I installed the app but notifications are not arriving

Make sure you tapped Allow on the notification permission prompt. Check your device settings under Notifications to confirm the app is allowed.
On iOS, you must be on iOS 16.4 or later for PWA push notifications to work.
Try opening the app and checking Settings to confirm notifications are toggled on.

The install icon is missing in my browser

Not all browsers support PWA installation. Use Chrome or Edge on Android and desktop, or Safari on iOS.

Notifications stopped coming after a while

This can happen if your browser clears service worker registrations (some browsers do this after a period of inactivity). Re-open the app and re-enable notifications if needed.