Install and offline use
Turn a Chromebook, laptop or tablet into a dedicated communication device.
Which version should I use?
| Device | Best choice |
|---|---|
| iPad | The iPad app from the App Store. It works fully offline and adds photo tiles, recorded sounds, profiles and printing. |
| Chromebook | The Chrome extension (below). One click opens the app full screen. |
| Windows or Mac | The Chrome extension, or simply a bookmark to modelcommunicator.com/app in any browser. |
| Android tablet or phone | The web app in Chrome, added to the home screen. |
Chromebook and Chrome: the extension
- Open the Model Communicator page in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome.
- Click the puzzle-piece icon in Chrome's toolbar and pin Model Communicator so its icon is always visible.
- Click the Model Communicator icon. The app opens in its own full-screen window with no tabs, address bar or toolbar to tap by accident.
- Press Esc (or the full-screen key) to leave full screen, and close the window to quit. Clicking the icon again brings you back to the same window rather than opening a second one.
For SLPs: On school-managed Chromebooks, students often cannot add extensions themselves. Ask your district's IT department to allow or force-install the Model Communicator extension for the students who need it. The extension asks for no access to web pages or browsing data, which usually makes approval simple. Send them the Google Workspace deployment guide.
iPad or iPhone: add the web app to the Home Screen
On an iPad we recommend the App Store app. If you cannot install apps (for example on a locked-down school iPad), the web app works too:
- Open Safari and go to modelcommunicator.com/app.
- Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow).
- Choose Add to Home Screen, then Add.
- Open Model Communicator from its new Home Screen icon. It runs full screen, without Safari's address bar.
Android: add to the home screen
- Open Chrome and go to modelcommunicator.com/app.
- Tap the ⋮ menu at the top right.
- Tap Add to Home screen and confirm.
Using the web app without internet
The first time you open the web app, your browser quietly saves the app, the board and the symbols you see. After that, the app opens and works even with no connection, in that same browser on that same device.
To get ready for offline use:
- While online, open the app and visit the pages you use most so their symbols are saved.
- If you want the MoCo Child voice, download it while you are online. It then works offline. Your device's built-in voices normally work offline as well.
- Test it: turn on airplane mode, open the app and speak a message.
Heads up: Offline copies live in the browser's storage. Clearing browsing data, using a private or incognito window, or signing in to a Chromebook as a guest will remove them. Sign-in, Cloud Sync, Studio and the Activity Map need a connection.
Good to know: When the board is updated, the app picks up the new version the next time it is opened with a connection.