Mobile App

Run Mini-Apps and chat from iOS and Android.

Run Mini-Apps and chat with models from your phone or tablet. Connects to any NodeTool server — your desktop, a self-hosted instance, or NodeTool Cloud.

New here? Start on desktop with Getting Started.

Overview

Mobile dashboard

Feature Notes
Chat Streaming responses across providers
Mini-Apps Run your workflows with a simple UI
Platforms iOS, Android, browser
Server Connect to any NodeTool server

Getting the App

From App Stores (Coming Soon)

The app will be available on:

  • iOS: Apple App Store
  • Android: Google Play Store

For Developers

Build and run from source:

# Clone the NodeTool repository
git clone https://github.com/nodetool-ai/nodetool.git
cd nodetool/mobile

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start the development server
npm start

Then:

  • Press i for iOS Simulator (macOS only)
  • Press a for Android Emulator
  • Press w for web browser
  • Scan the QR code with Expo Go on your phone

Connecting to Your Server

The mobile app requires a running NodeTool server.

Configure Server URL

  1. Open the app
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
  3. Enter your server URL
  4. Tap Test Connection
  5. Save when successful

Server URLs by Platform

Platform Server URL
iOS Simulator http://localhost:7777
Android Emulator http://10.0.2.2:7777
Physical Device http://<your-computer-ip>:7777

Physical devices must be on the same network as your NodeTool server.

AI Chat

Chat with AI models from your mobile device.

Mobile Chat

Features

  • Streaming responses – See text appear in real-time
  • Model selection – Choose from available AI models
  • Markdown rendering – Code blocks, formatting, syntax highlighting
  • Stop generation – Tap stop to cancel long responses
  • Multiple threads – Keep separate conversation topics

How to Chat

  1. Tap the Chat button on the Workflows list screen
  2. Select a model (tap model name)
  3. Type your message
  4. Tap Send
  5. Watch the AI respond in real-time

Tips

  • Use the + button to start a new conversation
  • Tap Stop to halt long responses
  • Scroll up to review conversation history
  • Switch models mid-conversation if needed

Running workflows

Mobile runs a workflow through a generated form. The home screen is the Workflows list (WorkflowsListScreen); tapping a workflow opens it (GraphEditorScreen) with input fields, a Run button, and results.

Mini Apps are a separate resource, authored in the desktop App Builder and stored on the server. The apps icon in the Workflows header opens the Apps browser, and tapping an app runs it on its own screen. See Mini Apps on Mobile.

Running a workflow

  1. Open the Workflows list (the home screen)
  2. Tap a workflow to open it
  3. Fill in the inputs (text, number, boolean toggles, image, audio, …)
  4. Tap Run
  5. View results below

Mini App Runner

Supported Input Types

Type Description
Text Single or multi-line text input
Number Integer or float values
Boolean On/off toggle switches
Image Image input
Audio Audio input
File path File reference

Mobile Graph Editor

The mobile app includes a touch-friendly version of the workflow editor. Workflows render as a vertical chain of cards that you scroll through — there is no free-form pan-and-zoom canvas.

Overview

Mobile Graph Editor

Empty State

New workflows open with a single prompt to add your first node.

Mobile Graph Editor — Empty

Node Picker

Tap the + button to open the full-screen node picker, which filters by input/output compatibility.

Mobile Graph Editor — Picker

Linear Chain

Workflows render as a vertical chain of cards on mobile — easier to scroll and tap.

Mobile Graph Editor — Chain

Interactions:

Action Result
Tap a card Open its properties
Up / Down buttons on a card Reorder it within the chain
Duplicate / Remove buttons Duplicate or delete the node
+ button Add a node via the full-screen picker

Mobile Settings

Configure the mobile app from the gear icon:

Mobile Settings

Section Purpose
Appearance Light / Dark / System theme
Server URL + Test Connection Which NodeTool server to talk to, with a one-tap connectivity check
Manage Shortcuts to API Keys, Collections, and Jobs
Account Signed-in email and Sign Out
About App version, build info, links

Mobile Language Model Selection

Tapping the model name at the top of a chat opens a two-step picker:

  1. Select a provider — the providers your server reports as supporting message generation.
  2. Select a model — the models offered by that provider.

A search box appears in either step once the list is long enough, and a back arrow returns from models to providers. There is no API-key gating, disabled styling, or docs links in this picker.

Mobile Model Selection

Screens

The stack registers 22 screens: Login, Workflows list, Graph editor, Settings, Chat, Threads, Language Model Selection, Apps, App, Documents, Storyboard Editor, Script Editor, Timeline Viewer, Sketch Viewer, Document Viewer, Assets, Asset Viewer, Secrets, Collections, Jobs, Job Detail, and Triggers.

Server Requirements

Your NodeTool server must be:

  1. Running – Start with nodetool serve --port 7777
  2. Accessible – On same network as your device
  3. Configured – With the models you want to use

Starting the Server

# Activate environment
conda activate nodetool

# Start server
nodetool serve --port 7777

The server runs at http://localhost:7777 by default.

Firewall Settings

If connecting from a physical device, ensure:

  • Port 7777 is open on your computer’s firewall
  • Your router allows local network connections
  • Both devices are on the same WiFi network

Troubleshooting

Cannot Connect to Server

Symptoms: “Connection failed” or timeout errors

Solutions:

  1. Verify the server is running
  2. Check the server URL in Settings
  3. For physical devices:
    • Use your computer’s IP address (not localhost)
    • Ensure same WiFi network
    • Check firewall settings

Android Emulator Connection Issues

Problem: Cannot reach localhost

Solution: Use http://10.0.2.2:7777 instead of localhost:7777. This is Android’s special IP for the host machine.

App Crashes on Startup

Solutions:

  1. Clear app data and restart
  2. Check that all dependencies are installed: npm install
  3. Reset Metro bundler: npm start --reset-cache

Chat Not Streaming

Symptoms: Responses appear all at once

Solutions:

  1. Check WebSocket connection
  2. Verify server is running current version
  3. Try a different AI model

Platform Notes

iOS

  • Requires Xcode for development (macOS only)
  • Use iOS Simulator for testing
  • Production builds via EAS Build

Android

  • Requires Android Studio for development
  • Use Android Emulator for testing
  • Use 10.0.2.2 for localhost access

Web

  • Works in any modern browser
  • Good for testing without mobile device
  • Run with npm run web

Building for Production

Use Expo’s EAS Build for production apps:

# Install EAS CLI
npm install -g eas-cli

# Log in to Expo
eas login

# Build for Android
eas build --platform android --profile preview

# Build for iOS
eas build --platform ios --profile preview

For store submissions:

# Google Play Store (AAB format)
eas build --platform android --profile production

# Apple App Store
eas build --platform ios --profile production

See EAS Build Documentation for details.

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