# 1st Flight App Guide Install our ready-to-use app and send messages without writing a single line of code. ![Airship 1st Flight app](https://www.airship.com/docs/images/1st-flight-learning-tracks_hu_99f81a27ea51dab0.webp) *Airship 1st Flight app* Airship's 1st Flight app lets you kick the tires (and honk the horn and try the turn signals) immediately. After installation and connecting to your Airship account, you can start sending messages to your own device. For a guided experience, follow the app's learning tracks about features, capabilities, and data. You can read an overview of each topic, plus key benefits and use cases. These tracks walk you through completing tasks in the app or in the Airship dashboard, giving you hands-on experience building campaigns and seeing them live on your device. Sounds good? Let's get you set up. ## Create an account and set up the app First set up your Airship account, then request a magic link to install the 1st Flight app:
  1. Create an Airship account on go.airship.com  or go.airship.eu . Make sure your Region selection matches the location where you want your data to be hosted.
  2. Check your inbox for a verification email from Airship and click Activate account to open the account setup page.
  3. Set up a password.
> **Tip:** After creating an Airship account, you can access [Flight School](https://www.airship.com/blog/fast-track-your-airship-expertise-and-value-creation-with-flight-school/) to take training courses and complete our Certification Track. > > Select the question mark icon () in the dashboard header, then **Flight School**. Or you can go directly to [https://flightschool.airship.com/](https://flightschool.airship.com/). On the next screen, enter your email address and select **Get magic link**. If on a mobile device, scroll to the right to see the field and button. Perform the next steps **on your mobile device**: 1. Check your email for our message, and tap **Install the app**. Your device's app store will open to the Airship app. 1. Install and open the app. 1. Tap **Connect My App**. 1. Select your region (US or EU) and log in with your Airship username and password. Your Airship account is now associated with the 1st Flight app on your device. 1. For iOS mobile devices, tap **Enable Push** then **Allow** to allow the device to receive push notifications. Push is automatically enabled for **Android**, so this screen will not appear for Android mobile devices. ## Start sending messages Now that your device is connected with your 1st Flight project in Airship, you're ready to send yourself messages. ### Send a push notification Send a [Push Notification](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#push_notification) to your mobile device. We'll try out a few features along the way too. 1. Open the 1st Flight project from the [Dashboard](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#dashboard) and select **Create a message**. > **Tip:** After sending your first message, this screen will display your [Messages Overview](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#messages_overview). Select **Create** to create more messages. 1. Enter a message name and save it. 1. In Audience, select **All Users** and [Fan Out](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#fan_out), and enable **Mobile Apps**. Then, select **Content** in the header. 1. Select **Push Notification**, then **Add content**. 1. Enter your message in the text field. You will see your message appear in the device preview. 1. Select the **Web Page** action and enter a URL. We recommend [http://bit.ly/IqT6zt](http://bit.ly/IqT6zt). When your device receives the message and you tap the notification, its web browser will open the URL entered here. 1. Enable the **Title** option and enter a title in the text field. Notice its position in the preview. 1. Select **Delivery** in the header and then **Send Now**. 1. Select **Review & Send** in the header and review the appearance and content of your message. You can page through the images in the device preview. ![Reviewing the message summary before sending](https://www.airship.com/docs/images/ab-preview_hu_18dda5767a7acfd8.webp) *Reviewing the message summary before sending* 1. Select **Send Message**. Your push notification should appear momentarily. Tap the message and the device's browser should open the URL you entered when composing your message. Want to send more messages? Our [Message composer tutorials](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/) walk you through all the features and options. Ready to integrate Airship with your own app? See [Create a messaging project](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/setup/#create-a-messaging-project) and [Configure channels](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/setup/#configure-channels) in *Try Airship*. ### Automate a push notification After you've sent your first message, try setting up some automated messages. Airship's [Automation](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#automation) features make it easy to send your audience relevant messages based things they do in your app, changes in their preferences, or changes in their location. Learn more in the [Automation and Sequences user guide](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/about/). **Automate a push notification using the** [Tag Change Trigger](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#tag_change_event_trigger): 1. Follow the steps in the [Automation Composer Tutorial](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create-automation/), using these settings: * In the Setup step, select the Tag Change trigger, then enter a tag in the search field (e.g., `heyo`) and select **Create tag**. * In the Content step, select **Push Notification** as your content type. 1. Set the tag on your Channel ID so you can trigger the message: 1. In the 1st Flight app, go to **Account**, then **Tags**. 1. Select **Tag, you're it!**, then **Set tags**. 1. Enter the tag you used when setting up your automation rule and select **Add**. This simulates how you would assign tags to your audience as they use your app and also demonstrates how you can use tags with your messages. Tags are case-sensitive. Your push notification should appear momentarily. ### Try In-App Automation In-App Automation messages are cached in your app, helping you immediately respond to your audience's behaviors with contextual messages. Using In-App Automation, you can even reach users who may have opted out of traditional push notifications. Learn more in the [In-App Automation feature guide](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/features/messaging/in-app-automation/). **Try In-App Automation using the** [App Open (Mobile App), Session Start (Web) Trigger](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#app_open_iaa_trigger): 1. Follow the steps in the [In-App Automation Composer Tutorial](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/in-app-experiences/in-app-automation/create/), using these settings: * In the Behavior step, select the **App Open** trigger and leave the value set to `1`. This triggers your message the next time your audience opens the app. 1. Close and open the 1st Flight app to see your message. If you don't see your message, go to **Messages**, then **Messages Overview**, and make sure it is listed as Active. After it is Active, reopen the app. ### Create your first Sequence [Sequences](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#sequence) are a quick and powerful way to encourage your audience to reach a goal with an automated series of messages. You might use a Sequence to encourage your audience to buy items that they left in their shopping cart, or count down to an upcoming event that they have tickets for. You can set goals to end the Sequence when your audience achieves a desired result. For example, if you start a Sequence when your audience leaves items in their cart, you might end the Sequence when your audience completes a purchase. Learn more in the [Sequences guide](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/). > **Tip:** To get started without having to create a Sequence from scratch, try a [Sequence Template](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#sequence_template). **Set up a Sequence using the** [Tag Change Trigger](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#tag_change_event_trigger): 1. Follow the steps in [Create a Sequence](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create/create/), using these settings: * For the trigger, select **Tag Change**, then enter a tag in the search field (e.g., `woohoo`) and select **Create tag**. 1. Set the tag on your Channel ID so you can trigger the Sequence: 1. In the 1st Flight app, go to **Account**, then **Tags**. 1. Select **Tag, you're it!**, then **Set tags**. 1. Enter the tag you used when setting up your Sequence and select **Add**. This simulates how you would assign tags to your audience as they use your app and also demonstrates how you can use tags with your messages. Tags are case-sensitive. Your audience will receive messages in the Sequence according to the schedule and conditions you set. When your audience no longer meets the conditions to continue receiving messages, or achieves a goal of the Sequence (set in [Outcomes](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create/outcomes/)), they stop receiving messages and their Sequence ends. > **Tip:** You can test your Sequence now instead of waiting for scheduled messages. Send the Sequence to yourself as a [Named User](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#named_user): > > 1. Associate a Named User with your Channel ID: > 1. In the 1st Flight app, go to **Account**, then **Named User**. > 1. Select **Say my name**, then **Named User**. > 1. Enter an ID (e.g., `julia`), then tap **Apply**. > 1. Follow the steps to [Test a Sequence](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create/test/#test-a-sequence). When you set up the Test Audience, enter the Named User you set in the 1st Flight app. ### Try Message Center Message Center is both a place in your app where you can display persistent rich messages, including HTML, video, etc., and a message type. Similar to email, Message Center represents both the medium (the in-app inbox) and the message type (the messages you send to the inbox). Message Center messages support HTML messages with images and video, helping you keep your audience engaged with creative visuals. You might use the Message Center to send your audience coupons, or notify them of upcoming events, encouraging them to keep returning to your app and services. See [Message Center content](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/content/app/message-center/) to create an HTML message with images and video. * You can send Message Center messages from the Message, Automation, and Sequence composers. * You can send a Message Center message by itself, or you can combine it with a push notification and/or in-app message. Interacting with the push notification or in-app message sends your audience to the Message Center. ### Try the API If you'd like to try out the [Airship API](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/rest-api/ua/) with your new 1st Flight app, you can use the [Airship Public Workspace](https://www.postman.com/airship-api) on Postman.com. From the Airship public workspace, select the [Airship 1st Flight](https://www.postman.com/airship-api/workspace/airship-public-workspace/collection/13307663-e55b622e-beeb-42cc-9bf2-e1677fc79db0) collection to get started. In the upper-right hand corner, choose the Airship 1st Flight environment and populate it with your 1st Flight app key, secret, and other variables to use the Airship API. > **Tip:** If you use an AI coding assistant, you can connect it to Airship with Skills and an MCP server. See [Airship AI Tools](https://www.airship.com/docs/developer/ai-tools/ai-tools/).