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github-actions[bot] edited this page Oct 14, 2026 · 1 revision

Getting started

Install the app

e-Handkerchief runs in the browser, but installing it gives you a home-screen icon, full-screen use and a reliable offline start.

  • Android (Chrome): open the app's URL, then use the browser menu → Install app (or Add to Home screen).
  • iPhone / iPad (Safari): open the URL, tap Share → Add to Home Screen.
  • Desktop (Chrome / Edge): use the install icon in the address bar.

After the first load, capture, the Knots list, the Calendar and Settings all work offline from the data stored on your device. Nothing needs an account; Google Drive backup is a separate, optional step (Cloud backup).

Tie your first knot

  1. Open the + tab (Capture). The screen asks for your location; allow it when your browser prompts (Capturing knots explains the location line).
  2. Type text, or use Mic, Dictate, Photo, Video or Library to add voice, speech-to-text, a photo, a video or a file from your library.
  3. Tap Tie Knot. The knot appears in the Knots list with its time and place.

A knot needs at least one item (text or media).

Two one-tap ways to reach Capture

Home-icon shortcut

Once the app is installed, long-press its home-screen icon and choose Tie a Knot.

Quick-capture notification

A "Tap to tie a knot" notification in your notification drawer opens Capture.

  1. Open Settings → Notifications and tap Allow notifications. Your browser asks for permission at that moment, and only then.
  2. Once allowed, Quick-capture notification is a simple on/off toggle.
  3. If you've blocked notifications for the site, Settings says "Blocked in browser settings". Change that in your browser's site settings. If your browser has no notification support, the section isn't shown.

Limits worth knowing:

  • Web apps can't pin a notification. On Android you can swipe it away. The app puts it back every time you open it and after each tap, but it can't keep it there permanently; that would need a native app. Tapping it opens Capture under the app's own address, including a GitHub Pages sub-path.
  • "Tap to copy the URL for this app" is Chrome's own notification for an installed web app. The page can't change or remove it.
  • If the notification can't be posted even though it's allowed, Settings shows why: "Couldn't show the notification (<reason>). Switch this off and on to try again." Opening Settings re-posts the notification once; it replaces the existing one rather than stacking.

Settings at a glance

Section What it does
Voice Transcription Turns live transcription on or off, and holds the optional Transcription server URL for transcribing saved audio later (Capturing knots).
Daily Email Summary "Coming soon". The toggle and recipient are saved for when the daily digest ships; no email is ever sent. To send a single knot, use Share (Sharing).
Date & Time Time zone, 12/24-hour format, and New day starts at (when checked-off knots leave the list; see Organising knots).
Sharing Append source when sharing: adds a "Shared from e-Handkerchief" footer and link (Sharing).
Notifications The quick-capture notification (above).
Cloud Backup Connect Google Drive, Merge with Cloud, Manage backups (Cloud backup). Hidden on copies that were deployed without Drive backup.

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