Keep TalkTo one tap away

TalkTo is not in any app store, and it does not need to be. It runs in your browser, and every browser can put a shortcut for it on your home screen, dock or taskbar. Here is how, device by device.

What is a shortcut, exactly?

A shortcut is an icon that opens TalkTo in one tap, without typing the address. It is still the website. Nothing gets installed in the way an app does, which is why it takes ten seconds and costs no storage to speak of.

No store, no download

Your browser makes the icon. There is no listing to find and nothing to wait for.

One tap in

A tile you can park wherever you look first, which skips the address bar entirely.

Same account

Your handle, friends and chats are exactly where you left them, because it is the same TalkTo.

Always current

Whatever version is live is the version you get. There is never an update to run.

Weighs almost nothing

A shortcut is a few kilobytes. Your storage will not notice.

Alerts come later

Browser notifications are not switched on yet. The Alerts section below says what that means for now.

Which devices can do it

If your phone or computer has a modern browser, it can pin TalkTo.

iPhone and iPad: Safari
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
From iOS or iPadOS 16.4 onward all four can add a shortcut. Anything older, stick with Safari.
Android: Chrome
Samsung Internet
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Windows: Chrome
Edge
Mac: Safari
Chrome
Edge
Safari needs macOS Sonoma or newer (Safari 17) for Add to Dock.
Chromebook: Chrome
Linux: Chrome
Edge

Does not work

Firefox on a computer. It cannot pin sites. Chrome and Edge can do it, and so can Safari if you are on a Mac.
Browsers built into other apps, such as the ones inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. Those cannot make shortcuts. Reopen talktohq.com in your real browser by choosing Open in browser from that app's menu.

How to do it

The short version

Open TalkTo in your normal browser, find Share or the browser's menu, and pick Add to Home Screen or Create shortcut. The exact words change from device to device, so find yours below.

Open TalkTo

iPhone and iPad

Safari on any version, other browsers from iOS 16.4

In Safari

1.Tap the Share buttonThe square with an arrow coming out of it. It sits along the bottom of the screen, or along the top on iPad. If you cannot see it, tap ⋯ beside the address bar first.
2.Choose Add to Home ScreenIt is a little way down the list. Keep scrolling if it is not in view.
3.Name it, then tap AddIf you see a switch called Open as Web App, leave it on. Some versions do not show it, and that is fine.
4.Open TalkTo from the new iconIf it opens on the start screen instead of your chats, see the note beside this card.

Using another browser? Find its Share option, either beside the address bar or in its menu, then pick Add to Home Screen. That only works on iOS or iPadOS 16.4 and newer.

If you land on the start screen

On iPhone and iPad, a home screen icon can open in its own window that does not share Safari's sign-in.

If that happens and you have already linked an email, choose Log in, enter the email and type the six-digit code we send. Your handle, friends and DMs come straight back.

Not linked an email yet? Do it first in Safari: open TalkTo, go to Settings, then Account, and save your account. After that you can add the icon without worrying.

Android

Chrome, Samsung Internet, Edge, Firefox and Opera

In Chrome

1.Tap the three dotsTop right corner of Chrome.
2.Tap Add to Home screenOn some versions it says Install app instead.
3.Confirm with Add or Install

In Samsung Internet

1.Tap the menu at the bottomThe three lines. If an install icon shows in the address bar, you can use that instead.
2.Choose Add page to, then Home screen

In Firefox

1.Tap the three dotsIn Firefox's toolbar, at the top or the bottom of the screen.
2.Tap Install

In Edge or Opera

Open the browser's menu and look for Add to Home screen, Add to phone or Install.

Android puts the icon on a home screen page and in the app drawer. It borrows your browser's sign-in, so TalkTo still knows who you are.

Windows, ChromeOS and Linux

Chrome or Edge

In Chrome

1.Open the three-dot menuThen go to Cast, save and share. If you see Install page as app there, that works too.
2.Choose Create shortcutTick Open as window if you want TalkTo in a window of its own, then confirm.

In Edge

1.Open the menu, then AppsThe three dots at the top right.
2.Choose Install this site as an appTalkTo opens in a window and gets its own place in your Start menu.

Pin the new icon to the taskbar or shelf and TalkTo is one click away. It borrows your browser's sign-in, so you stay logged in.

Mac

Safari on macOS Sonoma or newer, Chrome or Edge

In Safari

1.Choose File, then Add to DockThe File menu is at the top of your screen. You can also click Share in Safari's toolbar and pick Add to Dock.
2.Click AddTalkTo then opens from your Dock in a window of its own.

In Chrome or Edge

The steps match Windows: open the browser's menu and make a shortcut or install the site as an app. Jump to those steps.

Alerts

Browser notifications are not switched on yet, so a shortcut will not buzz your phone. New messages and friend requests show up inside TalkTo while it is open.

When alerts do arrive they will be optional and off until you turn them on. This page will change when that happens.

Taking it off

Deleting the icon does not delete your TalkTo account or anything in it. You can put the shortcut back whenever you like.

iPhone and iPad: Touch and hold the TalkTo icon, then tap Remove App or Delete Bookmark and confirm.
Android: Touch and hold the TalkTo icon, then tap Remove or Uninstall. The exact word depends on your phone.
Chrome or Edge on a computer: If you installed it as an app, open it, open its menu and choose Uninstall. If you made a plain shortcut, delete the icon from your desktop, Start menu or taskbar.
Safari on a Mac: Open the Applications folder inside your home folder and drag TalkTo to the Bin. If you only want it off the Dock, right-click the icon and choose Options, then Remove from Dock.

Questions

Is a home screen shortcut safe?

It is the same TalkTo website over HTTPS, wearing an icon. It only gets the permissions your browser would give the site anyway.

Will it eat my storage?

No. A shortcut is a few kilobytes, and there is no separate app to update.

Do I need a new account for it?

No, it is the same account. On iPhone and iPad the icon may open without your sign-in, in which case use Log in with your linked email and the six-digit code.

Is the shortcut different from the website?

No. It is TalkTo with the same features, just opened from an icon. Depending on your browser it may hide the address bar.

Why can I not see the option?

Compare your device and browser with the table above. Arrived from a link inside Instagram, TikTok or a similar app? Reopen TalkTo in your regular browser and try again.

Nothing here worked? Try the help page, which also has a form that reaches a person.