Install Guide - ASAR Reference Guide

Install the ASAR Reference Guide on Your Phone

Install this app to your home screen and it will work even without cell service or Wi-Fi — perfect for backcountry SAR operations. It looks and feels like a regular app.

What you need: Just visit the ASAR Reference Guide website once while you have internet. The app will download everything and work offline from that point forward.

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Android (Chrome)

Open in Chrome

Open Google Chrome on your Android phone and go to the ASAR Reference Guide website. You must use Chrome — other browsers may not support installation.

Look for the Install Banner

Chrome may show an Install app banner at the bottom of the screen automatically. If you see it, tap Install and you're done!

Or Use the Menu

If no banner appears, tap the three-dot menu ( ⋮ ) in the top-right corner of Chrome. Look for Install app or Add to Home screen and tap it.

Confirm Installation

A popup will ask you to confirm. Tap Install. The ASAR icon will appear on your home screen just like a regular app.

Tip: After installing, open the app once while you still have signal. Browse through a few pages to make sure everything is cached. Then it's ready for the field.

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iPhone / iPad (Safari)

Open in Safari

Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad and go to the ASAR Reference Guide website. You must use Safari — this will not work from Chrome or Firefox on iOS.

Tap the Share Button

Tap the Share button at the bottom of Safari. It looks like a square with an arrow pointing up ( ↑ ).

Tap "Add to Home Screen"

Scroll down in the share menu until you find Add to Home Screen. Tap it. You may need to scroll — it's usually about halfway down the list.

Name It and Tap Add

It will show "ASAR Ref" as the name. You can change this to whatever you like (e.g., "ASAR Guide"). Tap Add in the top-right corner.

iPhone note: After adding to your home screen, open the app once and browse through all the pages you might need while you still have signal. This ensures everything is saved for offline use. iPhones can sometimes clear cached data if storage is low.

How Do Updates Work?

When the ASAR team updates the reference guide (adds new content, fixes information, etc.), here's how it reaches your phone:

ASAR uploads changes to the website

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You open the app while connected to Wi-Fi or data

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App downloads updates automatically in the background

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Next time you open it, you see the new content

What you need to know:

Updates are automatic — just open the app while you have internet and it will update itself in the background.
You may need to open it twice — the first visit downloads the update, the second visit shows the new content.
No action required — you don't need to uninstall and reinstall. Just keep using the app normally.
Works offline until updated — if you never connect to internet, you'll still have the last version you downloaded. Nothing breaks.

Best practice before a callout: Open the app briefly while you have Wi-Fi to pick up any updates. Then you're guaranteed to have the latest info in the field.

Troubleshooting

"I can't find Add to Home Screen"

iPhone: Make sure you're using Safari, not Chrome or Firefox. Only Safari supports this on iOS.
Android: Make sure you're using Chrome. Samsung Internet also works.

"The app isn't working offline"

Open the app once while connected to the internet and browse a few pages. This triggers the download of all content.
On iPhone, make sure you opened it from the home screen icon, not from Safari.

"I'm seeing old content"

Open the app while connected to Wi-Fi. Close it completely (swipe it away). Open it again. The update should now be visible.

"Pages are missing or blank"

Make sure you have a good internet connection and open the app. It will re-download any missing content.
If the problem persists, remove the app from your home screen and re-add it using the steps above.