Tessera tile-house icon

TESSERA

Many pieces. One mission.

Tessera coordinates volunteers, groups, projects, and materials into one successful service event.

Open the App → Install guide

About

Why "Tessera"?

tessera
tes·ser·a  ·  TESS-er-uh  ·  noun  ·  plural tesserae
A small block of stone, tile, glass, or other material used in the making of a mosaic.

On its own, a single tile doesn't add up to much — its meaning comes from being set alongside many others. That's the idea behind the name: every volunteer, group, task, material run, and project is one tessera, a single piece of the event. No one piece finishes the work; the whole event only comes together once each is set in its place.

So that's what Tessera is for: helping place each piece where it belongs, so the larger mission comes together. You can see it in our mark — a home built from mosaic tiles, with one tile tilted, just being set into place.

The Tessera mark — a home built from mosaic tiles, with one tile tilted as if just being set into place
Many pieces. One mission.

See the app

What you'll use on event day

Here's the main screen a Group Leader sees during execution. Every piece of information your crew needs is one tap away.

Group Leader project execution screen in Tessera
  1. 1
    Project header — the homeowner name, your group and bus assignment, and your assigned site coach so you're never on the wrong site.
  2. 2
    Group tap to open → — see everyone assigned to your crew: their name, role, and contact info.
  3. 3
    Hotshot tap to open → — make a hotshot request for field supplies like water, ice, bug spray, and more.
  4. 4
    Alerts tap to open → — if your site has an issue that needs to be addressed, submit an alert here so the operations team can respond.
  5. 5
    Resources tap to open → — browse reference guides, how-tos, and checklists available to your crew during the event.
  6. 6
    Homeowner Bio — a short background on the family so your crew can serve them personally, not just complete a checklist.
  7. 7
    Project Scope / Photos — the approved work list and site photos from the original scoping visit. You and your crew should add before, during, and after photos throughout the day to document your progress.
  8. 8
    Requests — submit material and tool requests directly from the job site. When you submit a request your site coach is notified immediately and can dispatch what you need. The badges show how many requests are open and waiting.
  9. 9
    Toolbox — shows all tools assigned to your site, including any pickup tools your site coach assigned you to grab before boarding the bus. Check this at the end of the day to make sure everything gets returned.
  10. 10
    Trash Pickup — log a pickup request with a photo of the trash on site. The material runner gets notified automatically.

Install the app

Add Tessera to your phone's home screen — no app store needed.

Find your role

Read your role guide so you know what to do when you arrive.

Get to work

Open the app on event day, check in, and follow the workflow.

Install

Add Tessera to your phone

Tessera is a Progressive Web App — no app store required. Follow the steps for your phone to add it to your home screen like any other app.

iPhone & iPad

Safari browser required

  1. Open app.tesseramissions.org in Safari, then tap the ••• button in the bottom-right corner.

    Safari open to the Tessera login page, with the more-options (•••) button in the bottom-right corner

  2. Tap Share.

    Safari menu with the Share option highlighted

  3. Tap View More.

    Share sheet with the View More button highlighted

  4. Tap Add to Home Screen.

    Share options list with Add to Home Screen highlighted

  5. Tap Add. Tessera will appear on your home screen.

    Add to Home Screen dialog with the Add button highlighted

Android

Chrome browser required

  1. Open app.tesseramissions.org in Chrome, then tap the ⋮ button in the top-right corner.

    Chrome open to the Tessera login page, with the three-dot menu button highlighted in the top-right corner

  2. Tap Add to Home Screen.

    Chrome menu open with Add to Home Screen option highlighted

  3. Tap Install (not "Create shortcut" — Install gives you the full app experience).

    Add to home screen bottom sheet with Install option highlighted

  4. Tap Install to confirm. Tessera will appear on your home screen.

    Install app dialog showing Tessera from app.tesseramissions.org with the Install button highlighted

⚡ Enable push notifications

When prompted, allow Tessera to send notifications. This is how your group leader, site coach, and event coordinators will reach you during the event. If you missed the prompt, go to your phone's Settings → Notifications → Tessera and turn them on.

FAQ

Common questions

Answers to the most frequent questions volunteers have before and during an event.

Your password is your last name followed by the last 4 digits of your phone number — for example, if your last name is Smith and your number ends in 1234, your password is smith1234. If you can't sign in, use the "Can't sign in?" link on the login screen and someone from the team will get you sorted.
See the install guide above for step-by-step instructions for iPhone and Android. On iPhone, you must use Safari (not Chrome). On Android, use Chrome. The app does not require an app store download.
Notifications may be blocked if you tapped "Don't Allow" when first prompted. To fix it: on iPhone, go to Settings → Notifications → Tessera and turn on Allow Notifications. On Android, go to Settings → Apps → Tessera → Notifications. Make sure your phone is not on Do Not Disturb during the event.
On the login screen, tap "Forgot PIN?" and follow the reset steps. If you're at the event and can't get in, find your group leader or an event coordinator — they can look up your access.
Inside the app, navigate to your worksite's Photos tab. Tap the camera icon to take a photo directly, or the gallery icon to upload from your camera roll. Label the photo as "Before" or "After" when prompted. Photos sync automatically when you have a signal.
Go to your project page and tap "Request Materials." Describe what you need and how many — a Material Runner will see the request and deliver to your site. For urgent needs, contact your Site Coach directly.
First, check your phone's signal or Wi-Fi connection. If you have a connection and the app still won't load, close it completely and reopen it. If that doesn't help, try uninstalling and reinstalling from app.tesseramissions.org. Find a coordinator if the problem continues on event day.
Your role is assigned by event leadership before the event. You may have been told in an email, at a pre-event meeting, or by your group leader. If you're unsure, ask your group leader or an event coordinator. Most volunteers will be in a group — if that's you, read the Group Leader guide or just follow your group leader's instructions.

Ready to go?

Open Tessera on your phone and get started.

Open Tessera →