Create your own advent calendar app

Digital and yet handmade… This advent calendar app is a great gift for family, friends, or clients in the advent time and Christmas season. We have created three template versions: Your advent quotes, Your advent images, and Your advent quiz. Copy it to your Open as App account, fill it with your own words, pictures and ideas. If you wish, you can also change the layout … the colors for example. We hope you’ll enjoy giving away your advent calendars!

Where do I find the app templates?

Go to Open as App and click on “Apps” in the header navigation. Now, the App Catalog will open. The advent calendar templates are in the “Features” category. Preview the apps and then select the app you want to use by clicking on “Copy to my account”. If you don’t have an account you can register straight away after clicking on the button. Now, you’ll come directly to the App Creator with the App Template. Here, you can rename your app, adjust colors, or add images.  If you want to take a break, no problem. You can always come back. You will find your advent calendar app on your dashboard in the app category.

How do I change the content of my advent calendar?

To change the text: Go to “Manage data -> Update spreadsheet”. You will see the Google Sheet that is the basis of this app. NOW: Scroll down until you see the button “Edit” underneath the preview of your spreadsheet. Click on Edit, the Google Sheet will open and you can overwrite the existing text. Go back to the browser window with your app and refresh the page. You will now see your text in the preview.

To change the images: You can upload the images directly to the app creator. Click on Preview on the left-hand side. Select the page you would like to change. Hover with your mouse over the preview. For each element, you will see an edit pencil. Click on it. Now, you can upload or drag the new picture for this page into the dialog field. The existing picture will be deleted automatically.

PLEASE NOTE: Make sure that the picture files you use are small enough for a smartphone. Any picture you add will contribute to the size of your advent calendar app. If it has several MB it might not update or load as quickly as you want it to.

How to rename your advent calendar app and change the layout?

Rename your app: Go to the Design & Info category. Choose “Name and Description” and fill in the new name. The name will show on your app card on your smartphone and in the header of your app. You can also write a message for the receiver of the advent calendar in “Description”.

Change background or header image: Go to the Edit category in the left-hand side menu. Select Pages & Elements -> go the title page called advent calendar. Move the mouse over the header and click on the edit icon. You will then get the dialog to insert or change the header image and the background image.

Change the color of text and numbers: Go to the Preview. Hover with the mouse over the preview. Select the section of the app you would like to apply your changes to. Click on the edit pencil icon. In the section Style, you can change the text color.  PLEASE NOTE: You need to change the color for each section individually! This is a bit of a hassle. Make sure you have some entertainment while you do it. Don’t forget to save your work from time to time.

How to bring the app on your smartphone and give it away to friends?

Your app is automatically in prototype mode and will only be visible on your personal Smartphone. To share your app, you need to publish it – either in Private mode or in Public mode. When you are in the App Creator go to the Share category. You will see three icons – prototype, private, and public. You can choose “public” if your content is OK to see for anyone. If you only want to share it with a special person or group use the “private” mode.

To share your app, open it on your Smartphone. Go to the menu on the top right-hand side. Select Share. You can share your app via e-mail or if your app is in  Public mode you can share it via Link or on Social Media.

How to use the Advent Calendar on a smartphone or tablet.

You will find your app on the Smartphone in the Open as App Client. When you publish your app you’ll get to the landing page of your app.  Use the QR code or the SMS service to get the Open as App client for the first time. Your app will be available in the “All” category on the left-hand side menu.

Need more help?

If you have any questions, please post them in our community and we will answer as fast as we can.

https://support.openasapp.net/hc/en-us/community/topics