For Members¶
This guide explains how to use locali as a member — from first launch to making full use of all features.
Install locali as an app¶
locali runs as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and can be installed directly from the browser like a native app — no app store needed.
Android (Chrome):
- Open locali in Chrome.
- Tap the menu (three dots, top right).
- Tap Add to Home screen.
- Confirm — locali appears on your home screen.
iOS (iPhone/iPad, Safari):
- Open locali in Safari.
- Tap the share icon (square with arrow).
- Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
- Confirm.
Desktop (Chrome or Edge):
- Open locali in your browser.
- Click the install icon in the address bar.
- Confirm — locali opens in its own window from then on.
App navigation¶
The main navigation at the bottom of the screen (mobile) or on the side (desktop) has these fixed sections:
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Start | Your personal feed with all posts from your spaces |
| Places | The public map and list of useful spots in your area |
| Spaces | Overview of your spaces — with two tabs: My Spaces and Explore |
| Organisations | The public directory of associations, authorities and institutions |
| Inbox | Your inbox with notifications |
| Profile | Account, appearance, language and settings |
Not all entries are always visible: Start, Places, Organisations and Profile also work without signing in — only Inbox appears once you are signed in. Without an account, Profile shows a slim variant with language, appearance, help and the sign-in entry point. The Spaces entry shows up as soon as you are signed in and the hub has at least one active space — before that it would only lead to an empty list.
On a phone, the second row below the top bar (e.g. sub-tabs, filters) hides itself while you scroll down and returns immediately when you scroll back up — more room for content, while the top bar and bottom navigation never disappear.
At the top of the bar you also find tools: Search (searches the whole hub or — inside a space — only that space), Ask locali (when the operator has enabled the AI feature) and, for operators, the shield icon linking to Administration.
Guest or member?¶
Which content and actions you can access depends on your role on the hub and in individual spaces.
- Guest — can read and explore, but cannot create own posts
- Member — can write posts, react, comment, and take part in Get Involved content
- Moderator — has additional rights in specific spaces, for example for events, moderation, and join requests
- Owner — the highest role in a space: maintains the profile, appoints moderators, and manages the space
Your role in a specific space is set by the relevant operator or owner. More on this: Spaces & roles.
Using the feed¶
The feed shows all posts from your spaces, sorted by recency.
- Scroll: New posts load automatically.
- Open a post: Tap a card for the full view.
- React and comment: As a member of a space, you can react to posts and comment on them.
- Filter: Use the filter button to narrow the feed to specific content types — for example, only Get Involved posts.
Joining and leaving spaces¶
Under Spaces → Explore you find all available spaces on the hub. Under My Spaces you see where you are already a member.
To join:
- Go to Spaces → Explore.
- Tap a space and select Join.
- Content from that space appears in your feed immediately.
Depending on the space's settings, joining may be open, require an invitation code, or need moderator approval.
Preview before joining: You can view public spaces (open or request-to-join) before becoming a member — you see the name, description and member count plus a Join button. The feed, events and member list stay members-only. Spaces that are invite-only or moderator-managed are not shown to non-members.
To leave:
- Open the space under My Spaces.
- Select Leave space from the menu.
Discovering places¶
Under Places you find useful public spots in your area — drinking fountains, cool places, public toilets, barbecue areas, sights, parks, and emergency points — as a map and as a list. The section is public; you do not need an account for it.
- Filter: by category, by attributes (e.g. accessibility), and via the radius filter (100 m to 10 km). For the radius, your browser asks once for your location permission; with a location you can also sort the list by distance.
- Take part: With an account (and a verified e-mail) you can propose new places — an admin reviews every proposal before it appears —, confirm existing places as "still current", or report them when something is wrong.
More on this: Features → Places.
Discovering organisations¶
Under Organisations you find the public directory of local actors — associations, authorities, institutions, initiatives and businesses — with profile, contact details, opening hours and latest news. This section is also usable without an account.
- Find: filter by type (e.g. only associations), search by category, or use free-text search.
- Favourites: With an account, you can star organisations and narrow the list to "favourites only".
- Report: If a detail is outdated (e.g. a phone number), you can send it back to the organisation via Report info.
More on this — including claiming and self-management: Features → Organisations.
Events and calendar¶
Every space has its own Events view. If the space has an ICS source connected, events are imported and kept up to date automatically.
Subscribe to the calendar as iCal:
- Open the events view of a space.
- Copy the iCal link or tap Subscribe to calendar.
- Add the link to your calendar app (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook).
Sharing¶
Organisation profiles and place pages, as well as news items and events, have a Share button. It opens your device's share sheet; without a share sheet, the link is copied to the clipboard.
- Recipients see a small preview of the link — name or title, short description, and image — provided the content is public.
- Links into protected spaces lead to a friendly sign-in page instead of a raw login. After signing in, you continue automatically to the originally shared content — content of protected spaces stays invisible without membership.
Get involved — help requests, offers, volunteering¶
Every space has a Get Involved section. Members can post concrete requests or offers.
There are three types:
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Help request | You need support — repairs, transport, company, … |
| Offer | You make something available — time, skills, objects |
| Volunteer need | An initiative is looking for active support |
In the feed, Get Involved posts are recognisable by their coloured badge. Use the filter to show only Get Involved posts.
Notifications¶
Your inbox (the Inbox area) collects what matters to you and updates in real time. In addition, you can be notified via web push directly in the browser:
- Open the Inbox and switch to the Settings tab.
- Enable push notifications.
- Allow notifications when your browser asks.
Everything else — list, detail view and push — is covered in the notifications guide.
Optional and per device
The inbox always works; web push is an optional addition and applies per browser or device.
Profile and settings¶
The Profile section in the main navigation bundles everything around your account:
- My memberships — quick access to My Spaces and My Organisations
- Account — edit display name and avatar, request a data export of your personal data (GDPR), or delete your account
- Preferences — switch the display language and adjust the appearance (light/dark, high contrast, accent colour)
- Sign out
Operators with admin rights additionally find the entry point to Administration (governance) here.
Without signing in, Profile shows only the slim variant: display language, appearance, help and a sign-in button — account, memberships and data export need an account.
When something does not look right¶
locali is still in an early alpha. If content is missing, a feature behaves differently than expected, or you need help, contact the operator of your hub.