Phone requirements
Cobren runs in the phone's own browser. There is nothing to download from an app store and nothing to install, and updates arrive by themselves. The driver and the office staff use the same phones.
Which phones
- Android: Android 10 or newer, with the current Chrome (Chrome 92 or newer; Samsung Internet 16 or newer also works).
- iPhone: iOS 16 or newer, in Safari. An iPhone 8 or newer can run it.
- Not inside WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram. A link opened there must be opened again in Chrome or Safari.
- Not in a private or incognito tab. Nothing can be kept on the phone there.
What the phone needs
- A camera on the back, for the photographs.
- Location switched on, so the phone can pin where you arrived. Tap Allow when it asks.
- 2 GB of memory (RAM) or more. With less, Cobren says so: it may be slow, or close while taking photographs.
- About 200 MB free space. A photograph is made small on the phone, about 200–400 KB. With less room, Cobren says how much is free.
- The right time. If the phone’s clock is more than two minutes out, Cobren says so and uses the office’s clock until it is fixed.
Signal
Mobile data or Wi-Fi. With no signal, everything you record and every photograph is kept on the phone. It sends when the signal returns while Cobren is open.
On an older phone
Cobren never just says “this phone is too old”. It names what is in the way and how to fix it on that phone:
- an old Android or iOS: which one it runs, which one Cobren needs, and how to update it;
- an old browser: which version it is, which version it needs, and how to update it;
- a link opened inside another app: how to open it in Chrome or Safari;
- a private tab, or storage that is full: what to do;
- location switched off: how to switch it back on;
- little memory or little free space: what it has, and what to do.
The office’s link is not used up while an old phone or browser, another app, a private tab or full storage is in the way. Fix it, then open the same link again.
Put Cobren on the home screen
Once, on the first day. Then open Cobren from its icon every morning.
For a driver, opening the office’s link:
Android (Chrome)
- Open the link in Chrome.
- Tap ⋮ at the top right.
- Tap “Add to Home screen” (or “Install app”), then Add.
- Open Cobren from the new icon from now on.
Android (Samsung Internet)
- Open the link in Samsung Internet.
- Tap ≡ at the bottom right.
- Tap “Add page to”, then “Home screen”.
- Open Cobren from the new icon from now on.
iPhone (Safari)
- Open the link in Safari.
- Tap “Copy the link” on the page.
- Tap the Share button (the square with the arrow) at the bottom.
- Tap “Add to Home Screen”, then Add.
- Open Cobren from the new icon, tap “Paste”, then Open.
iPhone (Chrome)
- Open the link in Chrome.
- Tap “Copy the link” on the page.
- Tap the Share button (the square with the arrow) at the top right.
- Tap “Add to Home Screen”, then Add.
- Open Cobren from the new icon, tap “Paste”, then Open.
For the office staff, who sign in on the phone:
Android
- Open Cobren in Chrome and sign in.
- Tap ⋮ at the top right.
- Tap “Add to Home screen” (or “Install app”), then Add.
- Open Cobren from the new icon from now on.
iPhone
- Open Cobren in Safari.
- Tap the Share button (the square with the arrow) at the bottom.
- Tap “Add to Home Screen”, then Add.
- Open Cobren from the new icon and sign in again — the icon keeps its own sign-in.
On an iPhone the icon keeps its own storage, so Cobren goes on the home screen before the link is opened. The office can print these steps from Cobren to hand out.