The HOA Start Mobile App

The HOA Start Mobile App

The HOA Start mobile app gives members an easy, button-based way to reach the same features found on the community website and Member Portal. It is available for Apple and Android devices on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

 Important Things to Know Before You Start

• You cannot sign up for membership in the app. If you don't already have an active website membership, sign up on your community website first, then log in to the app.
• Use the same login as your website. Sign in with the same email address and password you use on your community website.
• The app is not for administering your community. Admins should use a web browser and log in to the Admin Dashboard instead.
• Screens and features may look different, or may not appear at all, depending on your community's plan and settings. Some features are Premium Plan Package only, and community admins can hide or rename features.

 The Home Screen

Search terms: main screen, app menu, dashboard buttons

The Home screen uses colorful buttons to reach features that match those on your website or Member Portal. Tap a button to open that feature.

• Directory – The Member Directory. You control whether you appear in it and what information you share (see Directory Preferences below).
• Amenities* – Review and reserve community amenities.
• Violations* – Submit violations, and review/respond to violations assigned to you.
• Ticketing – Submit tickets, review your submissions, and respond to updates.
• Forms – Vote, answer questions, and submit information through custom forms.
• Calendar – View and register for upcoming community events.
• Committees* – Join or apply for committees, and review your assignments.
• Voting – Vote on current surveys and polls.
• Newsfeed – Read and respond to community posts.
• Payments – Review and pay amounts that are due or late.
• Documents – Review and download community files.

* Marked features are available on the Premium Plan Package.

 The Bottom Menu Bar

Search terms: navigation bar, footer icons, app toolbar

Every screen in the app has a menu bar at the bottom with five icons:

1. Home – Return to the Home screen.
2. Dashboard – Open "My Dashboard" (same info as the website's "My Dashboard" item).
3. Chat – Open "My Chats" (only visible if your community uses Private Messaging and you've enabled Chat for yourself).
4. Contact – Send a message to your community administrators (some communities may use a custom form instead).
5. Menu – Open the Options Menu (see below).

 The Options Menu

Also called: hamburger menu (its icon looks like a stylized hamburger — lines for the bun, one for the burger)

Tap the Menu icon in the bottom bar to open the Options Menu. From here you can:

• Switch – If you belong to more than one community, pick which site to view.
• Settings – Change settings for your member account.
• [Your Community Name] – Opens your community's website in your phone's browser. Log in there if you need members-only features.
• Logout – Log out of the app.
• Tap the X in the top right corner to close this menu.

 App Settings Overview

Search terms: account settings, preferences, edit my info

Reach Settings either through the Options Menu (Menu icon > Settings) or by tapping your initials on the Home screen and choosing Settings.

Settings contains four links:

 Settings: "My Profile"

Search terms: edit profile, update contact info, profile photo

• Profile photo – Tap Upload picture to add or take a photo (GIF, JPG, or PNG, under 15 MB). This photo appears on your profile and Directory entry.
• My information – Enter your name, email, phone, and address. Tip: enter a cell phone number (not a landline) if you want to receive text messages from your community.
• Additional information – Your community admin may add custom fields here; some may be required.
• Save your changes – Always tap Save (top right) or your changes will be lost.
• Tap the "<" back arrow to return to Settings.

 Settings: "Directory Preferences"

Search terms: member directory settings, privacy settings, opt in/out of directory

Control whether — and how much — of your information appears in the Member Directory.

• Appear in member directory – Turn this on to be listed. By itself, this only shares your name and photo.
• Address / Email address / Phone – Turn on any of these to also share that specific information.
• Your community may add extra custom fields you can choose to share as well.
• Save your changes, then use the "<" back arrow to return to Settings.

 Settings: "Saved Payment Methods"

Search terms: manage payment info, credit card on file, ACH account, remove card

• Tap + Add New to add a payment account (credit/debit card or ACH). You can save more than one.
• Saved accounts are listed on this screen.
• Tap Remove next to an account to delete it.
• Tap the "<" back arrow to return to Settings.

 Settings: "Notifications"

Search terms: turn on chat, text message alerts, email digest, push notifications

• Enable Chat – Turn on to send/receive chat messages (only shown if your community uses Private Messaging).
• Receive Text Messages – Turn on to get group texts from your community. Note: you must have a cell phone number (not a landline) saved on My Profile, or texts will not reach you.
• Receive Weekly/Monthly Digest Notifications – Turn on to get email summaries. Choose Weekly or Monthly, then check which topics you want included (payment reminders, ticketing updates, new documents, violation updates, calendar updates, and more, depending on your community's setup).
• Receive In-App Push Notifications – Turn on to get alerts on your phone for specific events (invoices, tickets, documents, violations, calendar, amenities, newsfeed, chat, surveys, committees, etc.). Note: you must also enable notifications for the app in your phone's own device settings.
• Save your changes, then use the "<" back arrow to return to Settings.

 "My Dashboard"

Search terms: my dashboard, dashboard cards, at-a-glance summary

Tap Dashboard in the bottom menu bar to open "My Dashboard" — the same information you'd see under "Hello, [Your Name] > My Dashboard" on the website. It's made up of individual cards; not every community shows every card, and order/names may vary:

• My Profile – Profile highlights, with a Settings shortcut.
• My Chats – Recent chat messages, with an "All Conversations" button.
• Amenities – Upcoming reservations.
• Violations – Violations assigned to you.
• Ticketing – Your current ticket submissions.
• Forms/Voting – Current surveys and votes.
• Calendar – Upcoming events you can register for.
• Committees – Your committee assignments.
• Newsfeed – Recent community posts.
• Payments – Amounts currently due or late.
• Documents – Recently uploaded files.

Sponsors – Community sponsor listings.