Which browsers and devices Bloom supports

Bloom is a web application. There is nothing to download. Open app.bloom.study in any modern browser, sign in, and you have the full product. Bloom runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android. The interface adapts automatically to phones, tablets, laptops, and large desktop monitors.

Supported browsers

Bloom is tested and supported on:

• Google Chrome (current and previous major version)
• Mozilla Firefox (current and previous major version)
• Apple Safari (current and previous major version, including iOS Safari)
• Microsoft Edge (current and previous major version)

Chromium-based browsers like Brave, Arc, and Opera generally work because they share Chrome’s rendering engine, but they are not part of our test matrix. If you hit a bug in one of those, try reproducing it in stock Chrome before reporting.

Supported devices and screen sizes

The same Bloom URL works on every device. The layout shifts at three breakpoints:

• Desktop and laptop (1024px wide and above): full three-pane layout with sidebar, chat, and document viewer side by side.
• Tablet (768px to 1023px): the sidebar collapses into a menu, chat and documents swap into focused panels you can switch between.
• Phone (below 768px): single-panel view, with a bottom action bar and a chat input optimised for thumb typing.

Touch input, stylus input, and mouse input are all supported. The canvas, Bloom’s rich-text editor, works with an Apple Pencil or active stylus on iPad and Surface devices.

Features that need device permissions

A few features ask the browser for permission the first time you use them. If you decline, the rest of Bloom keeps working, you just lose that one feature.

• Voice input in the chat box uses your microphone. Your browser will prompt for microphone access on first use.
• Read-aloud uses the browser’s audio output, no permission needed, but your device must not be muted.
• File uploads (PDFs, images, slides) use a standard file picker. On iOS and Android, you can also pick from your camera roll or take a photo directly.

Network and firewall requirements

Chat replies stream in real time using HTTPS with server-sent events over a standard fetch connection. There is no WebSocket, no long-polling, and no special port. Any network that allows normal web browsing on port 443 will work.

If you are on a school or corporate network with a restrictive firewall, allowlist:

• app.bloom.study and any *.bloom.study subdomain
• auth.bloom.study for sign-in (Auth0)
• Google Cloud Storage hostnames used to load uploaded files

Bloom requires HTTPS. If a proxy strips TLS or rewrites response headers, streaming chat may stall partway through a reply. Ask your IT team to bypass deep packet inspection for app.bloom.study.

Add Bloom to your home screen

Bloom is a Progressive Web App (PWA), so when you install it from your browser it opens in its own window with its own icon, just like a native app. There is nothing to install from an app store.

• iOS Safari: tap the share icon, then Add to Home Screen.
• Android Chrome: tap the menu (three dots), then Add to Home screen.
• Desktop Chrome or Edge: click the install icon at the right edge of the address bar, or open the menu and choose Install app.

Common issues

The page is blank or styles look broken

Almost always a stale cache after a release. Hard refresh the page (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows or Linux, Cmd+Shift+R on macOS). If that does not help, clear cookies and cached files for app.bloom.study and sign in again.

Chat replies start streaming, then stop

A network interruption, VPN drop, or aggressive proxy is closing the response early. Switch to a stable network, disable any VPN, or contact your IT team if you are on a managed network.

Voice input does nothing when I tap the mic

Microphone permission is denied. Click the lock icon in the address bar, find Microphone, set it to Allow, and reload the page. On iOS, also check Settings > Safari > Microphone.

Bloom feels slow on an old laptop

Streaming chat and the canvas editor are CPU-light, but rendering long conversations or large PDFs is not. Close unused browser tabs, and if you are stuck on a low-spec Chromebook, prefer Chrome over Firefox: it tends to be faster on weaker hardware.

What’s next

• Using Bloom on your phone or tablet → Can I use Bloom on mobile?
• Run into a different problem → Common issues and fixes
• Open Bloom in your browser now → app.bloom.study