Quick start guide

Your family command center.
Live in 15 minutes.

No downloads. No accounts (yet). Just open, share, and start. Follow the steps below for every device in your home.

Four steps

Start to fully set up.

1

Open the app

Tap "Open App" anywhere on this site. Family Basecamp opens instantly in your browser — no install needed.

2

Pick your name

Tap your family member card. Each person has their own color, icon, and personalized view from day one.

3

Add to home screen

Follow the guide below for your device. It installs like a native app — icon on your home screen, no browser chrome.

4

Share the link

Share the app URL with every family member. Everyone who opens it sees the same live data automatically.

Per-device setup

Every device, step by step.

📱 iPhone / iPad
🤖 Android
🔥 Amazon Fire Tablet
🖥️ Wall Tablet Hub
💻 Mac / Windows
1
Open Safari and go to the app URL

Family Basecamp must be opened in Safari on iPhone/iPad (not Chrome) for the Add to Home Screen option to appear.

2
Tap the Share button

It's the square with an arrow pointing up — at the bottom center of the screen on iPhone, or at the top on iPad.

3
Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen"

You may need to scroll the share sheet to find it. Tap it — you'll see Family Basecamp with the compass icon.

4
Tap "Add" in the top right

The app icon now lives on your home screen. Tap it anytime — it opens fullscreen like a native app, no browser bar.

5
Repeat for every family member's device

Everyone opens the same URL and adds it to their home screen. All devices stay in sync automatically.

💡 Pro tip: Put the Family Basecamp icon in the first row of your home screen — it becomes a habit when it's the first thing you see.

Quick reference

Browser: Safari only
Share icon: ↑ (bottom center)
Option: Add to Home Screen
Result: Fullscreen app icon
1
Open Chrome and navigate to the app URL

Chrome is recommended on Android for the best home screen install experience.

2
Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right

This opens Chrome's options menu.

3
Tap "Add to Home screen"

Chrome may also show an automatic banner at the bottom of the page — tap "Install" if you see it.

4
Confirm and tap "Add"

The Family Basecamp icon appears on your home screen and opens like a native app.

💡 Note: The exact menu wording varies slightly by Android version and phone maker, but "Add to Home screen" appears in Chrome's menu on all modern Android devices.

1
Open the Silk Browser

Amazon Fire tablets come with Silk as the default browser. Open it from your home screen or app grid.

2
Type in the Family Basecamp URL

Tap the address bar and enter your app URL. Bookmark it while you're there.

3
Tap the three-dot menu → "Add to Home Screen"

This places a shortcut on the Fire's home screen for quick access.

4
For kids: set Silk to open to Family Basecamp

In Silk Settings → Home Page, paste the app URL so Family Basecamp is the first thing that opens every time.

💡 Best use: A Fire HD 10 mounted in the kitchen is the ideal family hub setup. See the Wall Tablet tab for the full guide.

This is the setup we recommend most.

A wall-mounted tablet changes how your family starts every day.

1
Choose your tablet

An Amazon Fire HD 10 ($149.99) is our top recommendation — 10" screen, great brightness, affordable. A Fire HD 8 works well too.

2
Get a wall mount

Search Amazon for "tablet wall mount" — adjustable arm mounts start around $20. Pick one with a cable management channel so the charging cable is hidden.

3
Find the right spot

Kitchen near the door is ideal — it's the crossroads of family life. Mount at adult eye level so parents can glance at it easily. Kids will look up naturally.

4
Set Family Basecamp as the home page

In Silk browser settings, set the start page to your app URL. The tablet will always open to Family Basecamp.

5
Keep it charging

Run the cable through your mount to a nearby outlet. A tablet that's always plugged in is a tablet that's always on and ready.

6
Optional: enable kiosk mode

On Fire tablets, you can use "Pinned Apps" in Accessibility settings to lock the display to the browser — so kids can't accidentally navigate away.

💡 From our family: "The morning after we set it up, the kids walked straight to it before asking us anything. That alone made it worth it."

1
Open the app in any browser

Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge all work great on desktop. Just navigate to the app URL.

2
Bookmark it prominently

Drag the URL to your bookmarks bar or pin the tab. On Chrome, you can also install it as a desktop app via the address bar install icon.

3
Any updates you make sync to all devices

Schedule something from your laptop and the kitchen tablet and everyone's phones update in real time.

💡 Parents: Desktop is great for the finance and connection tabs — bigger screen makes it easier to work through decisions together at the kitchen table.

Recommended hardware

Everything you need, on Amazon.

Our affiliate links support Family Basecamp at no extra cost to you.

🔥

Amazon Fire HD 10

The best family hub tablet. 10.1" HD screen, fast processor, great for wall mounting in the kitchen.

From $149.99 on Amazon →
📱

Amazon Fire HD 8

Perfect for kids' rooms and smaller spaces. Lightweight, durable, affordable for each child.

From $99.99 on Amazon →
🔩

Adjustable Wall Mount

Swivel arm mount with cable management. Flush-mounts your hub tablet anywhere with no mess.

From $19.99 on Amazon →

You're ready. Let's go.

Open the app right now — every family member is already set up with their color and icon, waiting for you.

Open Family Basecamp →