Mobile help
Use Narrareach confidently from iPhone or iPad
A complete guide to TestFlight access, Safari handoff, Substack session refreshes, publishing checks, and the errors you can solve without waiting for support.
iPhone
Full guide · iOS 18+
iPad
Compatibility beta · iPadOS 18+
Laptop
Not required for this guide
Before you begin
Use one device and the right accounts
The mobile app and Safari work together. Keep every step on the same iPhone or iPad so Safari, the extension, and your Narrareach workspace can verify the same session.
A TestFlight invitation
Open the invitation from an email account you can access on the device. It does not need to match your Apple Account.
Your Narrareach login
Use the same account and workspace you already use on the web.
A regular Safari tab
Private Browsing and another browser profile may not share the Substack session the extension needs.
A safe test publication
Use a dedicated publication or harmless test Note before relying on a refreshed connection for live content.
Step 1
Install the beta with TestFlight
External testers receive access after Apple approves the beta build. A missing build before that approval is expected—not an account problem.
- 1
Open the invitation email on your device
Tap the TestFlight invitation link. If TestFlight is not installed, the link takes you to the App Store first.
- 2
Accept the invitation
TestFlight uses the Apple Account active on the device. The invitation email itself may be a different address.
- 3
Install Narrareach
Tap Install. Use iOS or iPadOS 18 or later to complete every step in this guide, including Session Bridge. Each TestFlight build remains available for its 90-day testing period.
- 4
Sign into your existing workspace
Use your normal Narrareach account. Connected channels, drafts, queue, activity, and supported insights come from that workspace.
Waiting for Apple review?
You can accept the tester invitation, but TestFlight may show no available build until Apple approves the first external beta. You do not need a redemption code when you joined through email.
Device support
What to expect on iPhone and iPad
The current beta is built for iPhone. iPad testers help us validate Apple's iPhone compatibility mode before Narrareach claims a native iPad experience.
iPhone
The supported native target. Use iOS 18 or later for the complete Session Bridge workflow in this guide.
iPad
An early-access compatibility test. The app may appear in an iPhone-sized window. Essential publishing controls should still work, but the Safari extension must be verified on the actual iPad before relying on it.
Step 2
Enable Narrareach Session Bridge
Session Bridge is only used when you explicitly refresh a browser-based platform session. It is included with the app and does not publish or poll in the background.
- 1
Open Settings
On newer iOS and iPadOS versions, follow Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions. If Settings does not show Apps, use Settings → Safari → Extensions instead.
- 2
Select Narrareach Session Bridge
If it does not appear on an iPad, capture a screenshot and report the iPad model and iPadOS version.
- 3
Turn the extension on
Allow access to Narrareach and Substack when Safari asks. Keep the permission limited to the sites required for this workflow.
- 4
Use a regular Safari tab
Sign into the correct Substack account and publication in the same Safari profile. Do not use Private Browsing for this test.
Quick path: Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions Older layout: Settings → Safari → Extensions.
iPhone or iPad Settings
Turn on Session Bridge
Step 3
Refresh Substack from the mobile app
Start inside Narrareach. The app opens a secure page in Safari, and the actual session approval is completed there.
Narrareach mobile app
Tap the Substack channel
- 1
Open Account in Narrareach
From the mobile app, open Account and tap the Substack row under Your channels.
- 2
Let Narrareach open Safari
The app creates a short-lived, single-use handoff for your current workspace. Do not reuse an older handoff tab.
- 3
Choose the Substack session refresh
On the Narrareach page in Safari, find the Substack connection that needs attention and start its refresh action.
- 4
Approve the verified session
Session Bridge reads the active Substack session, verifies that it belongs to the expected publication, and asks you to approve the update.
- 5
Return to the app
Narrareach refreshes connection health when it becomes active. Wait briefly before trying the refresh again.
Start here: Narrareach mobile → Account → Substack
Why the handoff expires
A handoff is intentionally short-lived and can be used once. If Safari shows that it expired or was already used, return to the app and create a fresh one. That message protects your workspace; it does not mean your Narrareach account was deleted.
Step 4
Confirm the connection before live publishing
A successful refresh is not complete until the app shows the channel as ready and a safe test reaches the intended publication.
- 1
Look for Ready
The Substack row should show a green check and the word Ready—not only a generic activity dot.
- 2
Create a harmless test Note
Use a dedicated test publication when possible. Include a unique phrase so the result is easy to identify.
- 3
Publish now
Watch the button progress state and wait for Narrareach to confirm the result. Do not tap repeatedly while publishing is in progress.
- 4
Verify on Substack
Open the publication in Safari and confirm the exact Note appears once. Then check Narrareach Activity or Published for the matching record.
- 5
Test the failure path
If safe, sign out of Substack and start another refresh. Narrareach should request a valid session instead of silently replacing the last working connection.
Back in Narrareach
Look for the green check
Connection states
Know what the app is telling you
Connection health is workspace data. A platform can appear in the app while still being unavailable for publishing until its server-side connection is ready.
Ready
The connection is ready to select for publishing from this workspace.
Needs attention
The platform exists in your workspace, but its session or authorization needs a refresh.
Manage on web
The provider requires a browser step. Start from Account so Narrareach can carry the correct workspace into Safari.
Unavailable
The server cannot currently verify a publishable connection. Review the message before attempting to publish.
Troubleshooting
Start with the symptom you can see
These recovery steps are safe to try. Avoid deleting the app, disconnecting a working channel, or recreating scheduled content unless the guide explicitly asks you to.
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The TestFlight build is unavailable | The external beta may still be in Apple review, or your device may not meet the minimum requirement. | Wait for the TestFlight availability email. For the complete Session Bridge workflow in this guide, confirm the device is running iOS or iPadOS 18 or later, then reopen TestFlight. |
| Session Bridge is missing in Safari Extensions | The current iPhone build may not expose the extension correctly in iPad compatibility mode. | Capture a screenshot of Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions and report the device model and iPadOS version. Continue managing channels in Safari while we verify native iPad support. |
| The secure link expired or was already used | Mobile handoff links are deliberately short-lived and single-use. | Close that Safari tab, return to Narrareach, and tap Account → Substack again to create a fresh handoff. |
| Safari asks you to sign into Narrareach again | The handoff could not activate the expected workspace session, or an older handoff tab was reused. | Return to the app and create a new handoff. If the message repeats, sign in once in Safari and include the time of the failure in your report. |
| Substack says you are signed out | The extension reads the current session from the same Safari profile. Private Browsing and another browser profile do not share it. | Open a regular Safari tab, sign into the correct Substack account, confirm the publication, and restart the refresh from Narrareach. |
| The channel still needs attention | The app may not have refreshed connection health after Safari returned control. | Return to Narrareach and wait a moment. Reopen Account or relaunch the app once. Do not repeat the sync while the first request is still processing. |
| A scheduled post did not publish | The platform connection may have expired after the schedule was created. | Open Inbox or Activity, review the delivery status, refresh the affected connection, and retry only when Narrareach marks it ready. Avoid creating a duplicate schedule. |
Contact support
Send enough context without sending secrets
If the guide does not resolve the issue, a focused report helps us identify whether the failure happened in TestFlight, the app, Safari, the extension, or the publishing provider.
Include these details
- Device model and iOS or iPadOS version
- Narrareach app version and build number
- The exact action you took before the issue
- The approximate time and your time zone
- A screenshot of the message, with private content hidden
- The support reference prepared by Report a problem
Never send
Passwords, verification codes, cookies, access tokens, private draft content, or an unrestricted screen recording.
Still stuck?
Send a focused support report.
Email ian.kiprono@narrareach.com. We will never ask for your platform password or authentication codes.
Common questions
Short answers before you leave
These are the details most early-access testers ask before installing or reconnecting a channel.
Do I need a laptop?
No. You can use the mobile app and the same device's Safari browser. Some connection-management steps leave the app briefly because providers require a browser session.
Does the TestFlight email need to match my Apple Account?
No. Use an email you can open on the device. TestFlight handles acceptance with the Apple Account active on that device.
Does Narrareach store my Substack password?
No. Session Bridge reads the active Safari session only after you start a refresh. The app never asks for or stores your Substack password.
Can I reuse an expired Safari handoff?
No. Return to the mobile app and create a new handoff. This protects your workspace if an old link is copied or reopened later.
Narrareach LLM connector
Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible agent to read drafts, schedule posts, and automate Substack, Medium, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, and Threads workflows.