How To Add A Website To Your Home Screen

If you’re reading this blog post on your iPhone or iPad, you may wish to capture the website address so that next time you want to visit, it’ll be an easier journey.

Apple’s Safari browser makes that simple. This tip will work not only for any of my websites that I hope you frequent, but for all of your favorites.

Here’s how to add a website to your Home screen. But wait, perhaps a definition is in order: the Home Screen on your iPhone or iPad actually starts on the the second page of your device. The first page is what I have named, the global search page. You use that when you can’t find, or remember where an email, document, or app is on your phone. Just type the description into the horizontal blank space, and a list of suggestions should appear.

The Home Screen is the page where all of your Apple apps (applications), as well as those you’ve added, sit. This screen can actually go on for several pages, depending upon the number of apps you’ve placed on our phone or pad.

So, when you visit a page in Safari that you want easy access to -- perhaps your own website -- just tap the Share button at the bottom of the Safari window on the iPhone and at the top of the iPad. (Share looks like an arrow that points to the right and is coming out of a box.) Several rows of options for how you’d like to Share this website are available. 

You choose and tap Add to Home Screen. Another box will open with a title Apple believes should be attached to the chosen website. You can pick this and click the Add button at the right hand top of the screen, or you can type in a name which you believes fit better.

Once you’ve hit the Add button, swipe to the last page of all of your screens and you’ll see the website added. It will look like your other apps. Test it out. Click on it and it should take you directly to the website without going on your Safari browser first.

Tech Tools Take the Tension Out of Travel

Annoyed by the alliteration? Sorry, but I’m trying to create the typical state of irritation many of us experience when traveling.

Before you transfer your mood to me, be my seatmate (I’ll take the aisle) while we explore some iPhone apps and websites designed to lesson anxiety.

iPhone and other Smarties
For fliers, Airfare Pro at $4.99 searches nearly 10,000 airports, hundreds of airlines and over 200 travel sites around the world to find the cheapest flights possible.

TripIt Travel Organizer is a free app that puts your travel plans on your iPhone. To use the app, you email your flight, hotel and rental confirmation to plans@tripit.com. The website will then create itineraries for each trip.


Currency is a free app that provides up-to-date exchange rates for over 100 currencies and countries.

FlightTrack Pro, at $9.99 imports flight data automatically and sends alerts with real-time changes to your flight.

Next Flight 
provides a list of available nonstop flights from all airlines for the day. Its great if you miss a flight, get bumped or decide to leave early. The $2.99 app tracks scheduled departures from more than 4,200 airports and 1,100 airlines.


Urbanspoon is a free restaurant finder that uses GPS to locate a restaurant near you. You can filter by neighborhood, cuisine, or price. Ratings and reviews are available, too.

Yelp is a free app that helps you find nearby bars, restaurants, and other businesses. You can read reviews from Yelp’s community of locals.


Websites

Kayak.com is considered the best resource for finding the cheapest air, hotel, cruise and car-rental prices. Sites such as Travelocity.com and Hotwire.com search only their own databases, but Kayak.com includes more than 400 airline websites, online travel agencies and other travel sites, including some international ones, in its search for the best fares and fees.

Yapta.com tracks your itinerary and alerts you when the price drops. Better than that, Yapta.com tracks flights after the tickets have been purchased. If a price drops enough to cover any re-ticketing or cancellation fees, Yapta.com sends out an alert.


TaxiWiz.com figures out the price of a cab ride in cities throughout the U.S. For example, if I declined your plea to pick you up at O’Hare, the 10.9 mile cab ride to my house would cost about $24.46 or $28 with a 15% tip, plus a $1.00 surcharge for trips from O'Hare Airport.

Transitchicago.com provides a cheaper alternative to my place. $2.25 for a 44 minute door-to-door trip via the CTA's Blue Line.

What’s that I hear? You’ve canceled plans to visit because I’m too lazy to pick you up at the airport? Oh well. Remember, though, this post is about reducing tension related to traveling. And since I’m its author, my serenity trumps yours.