You sign up for SpotSitter and there's no App Store download. Open the site in Safari, tap "Add to Home Screen," and it's on your phone. That's it. Same on Android.
This is a deliberate choice. Here's why we built it this way and what's different from a native app.
What "PWA" means in plain terms
PWA stands for Progressive Web App. A website that behaves like a native app when you add it to your home screen. You get a home screen icon, push notifications, and an app-like interface without going through Apple or Google.
No special software. No waiting for Apple to review anything. Visit the URL, tap "Add to Home Screen," done.
Why we built it this way
Three reasons.
Ship speed. App Store submissions go through review. That takes days, sometimes longer if something gets flagged. When we fix a bug or add a new restaurant, we ship it. You get the update the next time you open SpotSitter. No queue, no waiting on Apple's timeline.
No gatekeeping. Apps get rejected from stores for reasons that have nothing to do with quality. Building as a PWA means we're not one rejection away from losing access to you.
Cost structure. Apple and Google take 15 to 30 percent of in-app purchase revenue from App Store apps. We don't pay that fee as a PWA. That money stays in the product and the pricing.
None of this is a knock on native apps. Native can do things PWAs can't. But for an alert service where the core experience is setting a watch, getting a notification, and tapping through to book, PWA works.
How to install on iPhone
Open SpotSitter in Safari. Tap the share button in the toolbar (the square with an arrow pointing up). Tap "Add to Home Screen." Tap "Add."
The icon lands on your home screen and opens like any other app.
Push notifications run through Safari. When you set up your first watch, SpotSitter will ask for notification permission. Tap "Allow." Without that, alerts only reach you by email.
That permission prompt is the single most important install step. The monitoring runs on our servers regardless. The push only reaches your phone if the permission is on.
What's different from a native app
A few things worth knowing.
Push notifications on iPhone come through Safari rather than a dedicated iOS notification system. For SpotSitter's purposes, sending you a push when a reservation opens, it works as expected. There are some notification customization options that exist in native apps but not Safari PWAs. Nothing that affects whether you get alerted.
The monitoring runs on our servers, not your phone. Your device receives the notification; it's not doing the polling. Battery drain and background-process questions don't apply here.
If you clear your Safari history or data, you may need to log back in. The icon stays on your home screen, but app state depends on cookies being intact. Worth knowing.
Android install
On Android, Chrome usually prompts you to install SpotSitter when you visit the site. You can also tap the three-dot menu and select "Add to Home Screen." The install is faster on Android than iPhone in most cases.
Push notifications work natively on Android for PWAs without the Safari-specific quirks.
Fixing notification permission if something's off
If you've installed SpotSitter and push alerts aren't coming through, check: Settings > Safari > Notifications > SpotSitter. Set it to "Allow."
That covers most cases. If something else is wrong, email us. We're a small team and we respond.
SpotSitter is independent and not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company or Disney Parks. We do not store your Disney credentials. Ever.
Set a watch on the table you actually want.
Your first watch is free. One watch, push and email alerts, checks every 120 seconds. No card, no trial clock.
We watch the page. You enjoy the trip.