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New Mindings Sender App!

Writer's picture: StuartStuart

You asked for it, so we built it!

We built Mindings to fit in with your life, so the way you send pictures and messages to a Mindings account is via the tools you already use – text messages, email, social media etc.


However the feedback we’ve been getting from users is “just give us an App!”


Introducing the Mindings Sender App!


So, we’ve built it. It’s been well tested over the last few months and we’re delighted to let you give it a try.


At the moment it’s what is known as a “Web App” – it’s actually a web page that you save onto your phone as a ‘shortcut’. Once set up it looks and feels just like an ‘ordinary’ App.


The reason we do it this way is that we’re constantly tweaking and refining it and we don’t want you to have to keep updating it – we can do that at our end. A ‘proper’ App will soon be available from the Apple App Store and from Google Play soon.


In the meantime, this “Sender App” helps you quickly and easily send pictures, messages and ‘check-ins’ to Mindings users from your phone (or tablet or even your computer).


Enjoy using it and get in touch with your feedback and comments!


The Mindings Team



Setting up the Sender App

To use the Sender App, browse to www.mindings.com/sender


You’ll see this log-in screen:

If you’re the Administrator for a Mindings account (ie you set up the account), you can enter your email address, phone number or account name – then the password you use to administer the account.


If you’re not the Administrator, ask them to create an App Password in your entry in the account’s ‘Address Book’. This authorises you to use the Sender App for that account (it’s a security thing, to prevent strangers from sending spam etc).


When the user taps GotIt! after receiving your picture, message or check-in, Mindings will send you an acknowledgement. If you logged in using your email address or account name, you’ll receive an email. If you logged in using your phone number, you’ll get a text message!


Sending Text Messages


Tap the icon showing an envelope at the top of the screen (on a tablet or a computer it will have the word MESSAGE too), The Sender App will show you who the message will be sent to. The screen will also have two white boxes to type your message and, optionally, your location or other information.


Type your message, of up to 400 characters long, in the message area.


You can optionally add type up to 80 characters to describe your location or add other information.

At the bottom of each text box, there’s a counter which tells you how many more characters you can add.


When you’ve finished, tap the Send button to send the message, or Cancel to abandon it. You will now be returned to the Home screen.


Sending Pictures


Tap the icon showing a picture (on a tablet or a computer it will have the word PICTURE too). The Sender App will show you who the picture will be sent to. Underneath this person’s name is a button to choose a picture (it may be have a label like ‘Browse…’ or ‘Select picture’, depending on what kind of phone you’re using). In the white boxes below this, add your caption and, optionally, your location or other information.

  • Tap the Picture selection button and choose your picture from the phone or tablet.

  • You must add a caption of up to 80 characters.

  • You can also optionally add the location the picture refers to, or other information. You can type up to 80 characters in this area.

  • At the bottom of each text area, there’s a counter which tells you how many more characters you can add.

  • By selecting Pause Stream the picture will pause the Mindings Stream until the user presses GotIt! This over-rides the default setting.

  • You can change the picture before you send it by tapping the picture selection button again, and choosing a different picture.

  • When you’ve finished, tap the Send button to send the picture, or Cancel to abandon it. You will now be returned to the Home screen.

Not all mobile browsers allow pictures to be uploaded. If you’re having problems with this, we suggest you try the Google Chrome browser, or the iCab browser on an iPad.


Sending a Check-In


Tap the icon showing a map pin at the top of the screen (on a tablet or a computer it will have the word CHECK-IN too), The Sender App will show you who the check-in will be sent to. The screen will also have two white boxes to type your message and, optionally, your location or other information. It will display on the users screen like a Text-O-Gram, but will include a map tile with a map pin showing where you are.

  • Type your message, of up to 200 characters long, in the message area.

  • You can optionally add type up to 80 characters to describe your location or add other information.

  • At the bottom of each text box, there’s a counter which tells you how many more characters you can add.

  • The Map Level chooser will allow you to show the map tile with different levels of zoom: Street Level showing your location to the nearest few streets; Local Level will likely show your town; Regional Level will likely show a whole city; International Level will likely show the whole country.

  • When you’ve finished, tap the Send button to send the check-in, or Cancel to abandon it. You will now be returned to the Home screen.

Sending to more than one person at a time


 If you’re authorised to send pictures and messages to more than one Mindings user, it’s worth having the same password for all the accounts. This will allow you to use the Sender App to send to more than one person at once, if you want to.


In this case, you must log in using either your email address or your phone number. If you use your account name, the App will only send the pictures or messages to that account, even if you’re also authorised for other accounts.


On the Home screen, the Sender App will ask you to select one or more of the users you’re authorised to send to. You can return to the Home screen at any time, by tapping the house icon.

Displaying Mindings account status and usage


If you are the Administrator of a Mindings account, you can additionally use the Sender App to check the latest activity on the account. When you log in, you should see five icons (and labels on tablets and computers) at the top of your screen:

If you only see four icons (and labels), like this:

you’ve logged in as a Contributor instead of an Administrator. Please check the email address or phone number you entered and try again.


Select the person or people whose account usage information you want to see. The Home page will show you the last activity.

To see more information, click the cloud picture (on a tablet or a computer it will have the word USEAGE too).


You will see the time that the Mindings Device (iPad) last connected to theMindings server (so you will know whether or not it’s currently switched on and working); the last time a Picture, Message or Check-In (or piece of Social Media content) was received, and when the user tapped GotIt! for that piece of content.


You can only see account usage information if you are the Administrator  of that account.


You can use the Sender App to send Pictures, Messages and Check-Ins to any account you’re authorised to send to. But, you can only see usage information for a particular account if you’re its Administrator.


An account can only have one Administrator.


For example, Sam is the Administrator for Mary Smith and Pat Johnson, and is also allowed to send Pictures, Messages and Check-Ins to Sandy Williams. Sam can see the account information for Mary and Pat, but not Sandy.


Logout and ‘Keep me signed in’


If you want to log out of the Sender App, click the Logout button on the Home screen. You may have to click the picture of a house at the top of the screen, or the word HOME next to it, to return to the Home screen first.


If you select Keep me signed in when you log in, the Sender App will stay logged in and ready to use, even if you close and re-open your browser, or reboot your computer, tablet or phone. For this reason, we recommend that you only use this feature if you’re using your own personal computer, tablet or phone.


Creating the Mindings Sender App on iPhone


When on www.mindings.com/sender look at the bottom row of icons on the Safari browser. The middle icon is a box with an arrow coming out of the top – tap it. From the options that pop up, tap “Add to Home Screen”. Tap the “Add” word that should be on the top-right of the screen, under your battery icon.


There now should be an icon called “Sender” on your phone’s Home screen that looks like a mobile phone with an “M” on it.


Tap the icon to launch the Sender App.


In the boxes, enter your mobile number or email address (depending on how you want to receive GotIt!confirmations – if you’re not in the UK use the email address) and your password. If you are not the Administrator you’ll need the Administrator to give you an App Password (which they can create for you in the users’ Address Book).


The icons at the top give you the option of sending a text, sending a picture or “Checking In” (which sends a text message with a map showing where you are (if Location Services is enabled on your phone). If you are an Administrator you’ll also be able to check useage.


Creating the Mindings Sender App on Android


When on www.mindings.com/sender tap the Bookmark icon on the top right hand corner of the browser. You should see it appear called “Sender” in the Bookmarks. Tap/Hold the icon (ie instead of tapping it, press it down for a second or two) and a menu will appear giving you the option to “Add shortcut to home”.


There now should be an icon called “Sender” on your phone’s Home screen that looks like a mobile phone with an “M” on it.

Tap the icon to launch the Sender App.


In the boxes, enter your mobile number or email address (depending on how you want to receive GotIt! confirmations – if you’re not in the UK use the email address) and your password. If you are not the Administrator you’ll need the Administrator to give you an App Password (which they can create for you in the users’ Address Book).


The icons at the top give you the option of sending a text, sending a picture or “Checking In” (which sends a text message with a map showing where you are (if Location Services is enabled on your phone). If you are an Administrator you’ll also be able to check useage.

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© Stuart Arnott 2024

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