People Over Papers App: Is There One? (Phone Setup Guide)

By the peopleoverpapersmap.net editorial team · Facts checked October 22, 2026

Why people look for a People Over Papers app

In early 2025 the map lived on Padlet, and posts sharing it told people to download the Padlet app and save the map as a favorite (example post). That is why “People Over Papers app” became a common search. Padlet deleted the board in October 2025, so the Padlet app no longer shows it. The map moved to its own website, iceout.org, and the project’s Linktree points to that website, not to an app store.

	What to use
Official map	iceout.org in your browser
On your home screen	A shortcut you add yourself (steps below)
App store app	None needed
APK file	Never install one claiming to be the map

Which option is right for you?

If you want…	Do this
To check the map now and then	Open iceout.org/en in your browser and bookmark it
One-tap access like an app	Add it to your home screen (steps below)
Alerts about new reports	Add it to your home screen first, then allow notifications when the site asks
The map in Spanish	Use iceout.org/es for the shortcut instead
Something to install from an app store	There is nothing official to install. Skip app-store listings that use the name

How to add People Over Papers to an iPhone

1. Open Safari and go to iceout.org/en.
2. Tap the Share button.
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen. If you do not see it, scroll to the bottom, tap Edit Actions and add it.
4. Name it (for example “ICE map”) and tap Add.

Safari can add a website icon to your Home Screen so you can open it with one tap (Apple iPhone User Guide).

How to add People Over Papers to an Android phone

1. Open Chrome and go to iceout.org/en.
2. Tap the More menu (three dots) next to the address bar.
3. Tap Install and create shortcut (on some versions, Add to home screen), then Install.
4. Follow the prompts. The icon appears on your home screen.

These steps follow Google Chrome Help. Menu names can differ slightly between Chrome versions.

Alerts on your phone

The iceout.org map has an alerts button that asks for permission to send browser notifications. The team said in October 2025 that it planned alerts for activity within a radius you choose (Boyle Heights Beat). Add the map to your home screen first, then allow notifications when the site asks. You can turn them off later in your phone’s settings.

Alerts tell you something new came in. To look through everything reported so far, see how to see today’s reports.

iPhone alerts only work from the Home Screen

On iPhone and iPad, websites can send push notifications only after you add them to the Home Screen and open them from there. Apple added this in iOS and iPadOS 16.4, and the site can ask for permission only after you tap something on it (WebKit). So if you tap the map’s alerts button in Safari and nothing happens, add the map to your Home Screen, open it from the new icon, and try again.

We confirmed that iceout.org asks for notification permission in a desktop browser. We have not tested alerts on an iPhone, so treat this as the requirement, not a promise that alerts will arrive.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
“Add to Home Screen” is missing on iPhone	In the Share menu, scroll to the bottom, tap Edit Actions and add it.
Chrome shows “Add to home screen” instead of “Install”	Either works. Menu names change between Chrome versions.
The icon opens the old Padlet board	Delete that icon. It was saved before October 2025. Add iceout.org again.
The icon opens in Spanish (or English)	Delete it and add it again from iceout.org/en or iceout.org/es.
Notifications never arrive	Open the map from the home-screen icon, allow notifications, then check your phone’s notification settings for that icon.
The map loads slowly	Use the Area box and “Limit reports list to map” so the list only shows your part of the map.

Copycat apps: red flags

• A weekly or monthly fee to see reports. The real map is free.
• An APK file or a link outside the app stores. Installing it can give a stranger access to your phone.
• Requests for your name, phone number or email before you can see the map.
• A donation link that is not the one on the verified Linktree.
• “Official” claims without a link back from the project’s Linktree or social accounts.

If you already installed something that matches these red flags, uninstall it and change any password you entered in it.

Phone safety tips

• Lock-screen previews: if others use or see your phone, hide notification previews on the lock screen in your phone’s notification settings.
• Shared phones: anyone who opens a shared phone can open the shortcut. Remove it if that matters.
• Photos: remove location data before attaching a photo to a report. Our anonymous reporting guide shows how.
• One source of truth: if a link in a group chat looks different, compare it with the verified Linktree before tapping.

People Over Papers app: FAQ

Sources

• People Over Papers official Linktree
• Threads post from early 2025 about the Padlet app
• Boyle Heights Beat (Oct 8, 2025)
• Apple iPhone User Guide: Bookmark favorite webpages
• Google Chrome Help: Use web apps
• iceout.org, visited Oct 22, 2026

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