Tailscale setup

Use Tailscale to reach your MOBaiLE host from iPhone.

MOBaiLE recommends Tailscale when the iPhone should reach your Mac or Linux host away from the same Wi-Fi network, without exposing the backend as a public unauthenticated service.

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Why use Tailscale with MOBaiLE?

Tailscale gives the iPhone a private network path to the paired host. MOBaiLE still requires backend pairing and bearer auth; the network path only determines how the phone reaches the host.

Works away from Wi-Fi

Same-Wi-Fi setup is useful for local testing. Tailscale is the recommended default for off-Wi-Fi use.

Keeps pairing visible

MOBaiLE still uses QR pairing and a long-lived API token issued by the backend you control.

Preserves host ownership

The Mac or Linux host keeps files, credentials, network access, and agent execution.

Setup path

  1. Sign in to Tailscale on both the host and iPhone.
  2. Run the MOBaiLE installer with the default phone access mode.
  3. Pair the iPhone with the QR generated by the backend.
  4. Turn off Wi-Fi on iPhone and confirm a small prompt still returns live progress.
Install guide Tailscale docs

Common fixes

  • Do not use 127.0.0.1 on a real iPhone.
  • Confirm Tailscale is connected on both devices.
  • Confirm the pairing URL is reachable from the phone, not only from the host.