Setup guide About 15 minutes

The screen everyone walks past.

Pick a tablet, install homerun, keep the screen awake, and put it where the whole house can see it. Here's how we'd do it.

homerun daily chore board on a wall tablet, one column per person

Step 1 · Pick a tablet

Any tablet works. These work best.

homerun runs in the browser, so there's nothing to buy if you already have a tablet. If you're shopping for one, here's what we recommend.

Our pick

iPad

10th generation or newer · 10.9–11 in

Smooth, responsive touch
Years of software updates
Guided Access locks it to homerun
A hand-me-down iPad works too

Best Android

Samsung Galaxy Tab

A9+ or S-series FE · 11 in

Chrome installs homerun as an app
Can stay awake while charging
Battery protection for always-plugged-in use

On a budget

Amazon Fire

Fire HD 10 or Fire Max 11

Often on sale for very little
Plenty for the chore board
Slower, and no Chrome out of the box
Get the version without lock-screen ads

Small spaces

iPad mini or 8 in

Counters, desks, kids' rooms

Fits on a counter stand
Good for 1–3 people
Too small to read from across a room

What size?

The daily board gives each person a column, so more people means more screen.

8 in

Counter or desk

Couples and small homes. Best when you'll be within arm's reach.

10–11 in

The sweet spot

Readable from across the kitchen, fits 4–5 columns comfortably. Right for most homes.

12–13 in

Big families

Five or more people, or a big open room. Costs more and needs a sturdier mount.

Two things to check. Get a tablet from the last five or so years with at least 3 GB of memory, running iPadOS 16.4+ or a current Android. And skip OLED screens (iPad Pro, Galaxy Tab S non-FE) for a screen that's always on, since a static board can leave burn-in. Regular LCD screens are fine.

Step 2 · Install the app

Add homerun to the home screen.

homerun is a web app. Installing it gives it its own icon, opens it full screen without browser bars, and turns on notifications on iPad and iPhone. No app store needed.

iPad & iPhone

Safari

Open homerun in Safariapp.joinhome.run
Tap ShareSquare with an arrow, or under •••
Tap Add to Home ScreenKeep "Open as Web App" on
Open homerun from the new icon

Notifications on iPad and iPhone only work from the installed app.

Android

Chrome

Open homerun in Chromeapp.joinhome.run
Tap the ⋮ menuTop-right corner
Tap Install appOr "Add to home screen"
Open homerun from the new icon

Using Samsung Internet? Menu › Add page to › Home screen.

Amazon Fire

Silk browser

Open homerun in Silkapp.joinhome.run
Bookmark the pageSilk menu › Add bookmark
Long-press the bookmarkChoose "Add to Home Screen"
Open homerun from the new icon

Some Fire versions show Add to Home Screen right in the Silk menu.

On a computer: in Chrome or Edge, click the install icon in the address bar. On a Mac with Safari, choose File › Add to Dock.

Step 3 · Keep it awake

Stop the screen from going dark.

A home screen only helps if it's on. Tablets are built to sleep after a minute or two, so change that once and forget about it.

iPad

iPadOS

Set Auto-Lock to NeverSettings › Display & Brightness
Turn off Low Power ModeSettings › Battery

Optional: lock the iPad to homerun with Guided Access (Settings › Accessibility). Set its own Display Auto-Lock to Never too.

Android

Names vary a little by brand

Tap Build number 7 timesSettings › About tablet
Turn on Stay awakeSettings › Developer options

The screen now stays on while charging. On Samsung, Build number is under About tablet › Software information.

Amazon Fire

Fire OS

Tap Serial Number 7 timesSettings › Device Options › About
Turn on Stay awakeDevice Options › Developer options

The screen now stays on while charging. Turn on Do Not Disturb so other apps stay quiet.

Want it dark overnight? On Android and Fire, pair Stay awake with a smart plug on a schedule. When the plug turns off at night, the screen sleeps on its normal timeout, and the battery gets a break too.

Step 4 · Find the spot

Where everyone already looks.

The best spot is one the whole house passes a few times a day, not the one that looks nicest.

Kitchen by the fridge, the hallway to the garage, or a mudroom or command center
Center it about 57–60 in (145–152 cm) off the floor for adults
With young kids, drop it to about 48 in (122 cm). Adults can still read it.
Landscape, so everyone's column fits side by side
Near an outlet, with good Wi-Fi
Away from direct sun, stove heat and sink splashes

Heights are measured from the floor to the center of the screen.

Step 5 · Mount & power

Up on the wall. Cord out of sight.

Pick a mount that suits your wall and how often you'll take the tablet down.

🧲

Magnetic mount

A small plate on the wall and a case that snaps on. Lift it off to use in your hand. Wallee and VidaMount make these for many iPad and Galaxy models.

🏠

Renter-friendly

An adhesive magnetic mount holds a tablet without drilling. Clean the wall first and let the adhesive set for a day.

🔲

Flush frame

A slim frame screwed to the wall, like a picture. Looks built in. Make sure the frame fits your exact model and leaves the charging port open.

📐

Counter stand

No wall needed. A weighted stand or an under-cabinet arm works well by the coffee maker.

Power it cleanly

A right-angle USB-C (or Lightning) cable keeps the tablet flush
A paintable cord cover hides the cable on the way to the outlet
For no visible cord, a recessed in-wall power kit puts an outlet behind the tablet. Have an electrician install it, and never run a regular extension cord inside the wall.
Use the charger that came with the tablet, or one with the same rating

Look after the battery

Sitting at 100% all day ages a battery faster
Turn on a charge limit if your tablet has one. Samsung calls it Battery protection.
A smart plug on a schedule gives it a rest overnight
If the battery ever swells or the case bulges, unplug it and replace it

We're not affiliated with any brand mentioned here. Check that a mount fits your exact tablet model before you buy.

Step 6 · Make it yours

One screen, everyone's home.

1 min1

Sign in once

One adult signs in on the tablet. Everyone else just taps their face to switch profiles.

2 min2

Add everyone

Kids get profiles without an email. Adults can join from their own phones with your household code.

1 min3

Recaps on phones

Turn on the evening recap from each adult's phone, by push or text. The tablet stays quiet.

How evening recaps work →

Questions

Setup questions.

Regular LCD screens handle it fine. OLED screens can get burn-in from a static layout, so we don't recommend them for this. The bigger wear item is the battery, so turn on a charge limit or use a smart plug schedule if you can.

A tablet with its screen on usually draws a few watts, often less than a single LED bulb. Auto-brightness lowers that further in the evening.

Yes. It's small for a family board, but works well in a kid's room, by the back door, or in the garage. Follow the same steps to install it and keep it awake.

You're probably opening it from the browser instead of the home screen icon. Open homerun from the icon you added in step 2. On iPad, make sure Open as Web App was on when you added it. If not, remove the icon and add it again.

Check that Low Power Mode is off, since it can override Auto-Lock. If you use Guided Access, it has its own Display Auto-Lock setting, which also needs to be set to Never.

Yes. homerun syncs live between everyone's devices, so the tablet needs a steady connection. If the spot you picked has weak Wi-Fi, a mesh point or extender nearby usually fixes it.

Your screen is ready. Let's fill it.

Add your people and first chores in about two minutes.

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