# Better Smartphone support!

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [15 July 2020 06:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103 "2020-07-15T06:46:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lizzardguki](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/lizzardguki/32/103637_2.png) [@lizzardguki](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/lizzardguki)\
**Post date:** [15 July 2020 06:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/1 "2020-07-15T06:46:57Z")

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I followed the installation instructions to run node-red from my smartphone via Termux. In time of writing this post i am at field work (managing traffic) and i have a LOT of free time on my hand , and i one of mine clients asked me to create some flows.

While moving and editing nodes is easy, it is a pain for me to connect them together, i always end up moving the node i wish to connect or opening the circle with options, am i missing something, can someone share their experience with RED on smartphone? I realized that if i had a 🐁 connected it would be easier.

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [15 July 2020 08:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/2 "2020-07-15T08:29:34Z")

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> [@lizzardguki](#):
>
> am i missing something

A bigger display 🙂

Its just too fiddly to edit NR on such a small screen

Maybe a touchscreen probe would help but I've never really found them to be good enough in the past

[edit]it might be possible to hack NR to make the circles bigger - you did say you had plenty of free time..... 🙂 [/edit]

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**Author:** ![ristomatti](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ristomatti/32/5857_2.png) [@ristomatti](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ristomatti)\
**Post date:** [15 July 2020 09:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/3 "2020-07-15T09:23:30Z")

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The position to start drawing lines seems to be quite precise indeed. What I usually do is long press / wiggle tiny bit -\> if no wire, repeat. It typically takes 2-5 tries.

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [15 July 2020 09:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/4 "2020-07-15T09:32:29Z")

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Having spent time last week fixing up a lot of the touch support for the 1.1.2, I'm well aware of the difficulties around wiring nodes.

Any fix is a bit more involved though as it'd require some touch-specific changes to how wiring works - the ports are simply too small to be accessible touch targets.

Keep the feedback on touch screen usage coming - as I mentioned in the [1.1.2 release post](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-1-1-2-released/29872) this is something I'm interested in gather more of. How quickly we're able to address it I can't say - but gathering the feedback is the first step.

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**Author:** ![lizzardguki](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/lizzardguki/32/103637_2.png) [@lizzardguki](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/lizzardguki)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/5 "2020-07-16T12:10:22Z")

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Well i bought a touch pen , and so far it is possible to work, there are some bugs when typing/deleting (eg. Function node) Textbox so far works fine. And connecting nodes is possible.

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**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/6 "2020-07-16T12:18:11Z")

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You can also use a mouse connected via usb, using a OTG to usb adapter. You can also channge the sensitivity of the mouse.

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**Author:** ![lizzardguki](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/lizzardguki/32/103637_2.png) [@lizzardguki](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/lizzardguki)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/7 "2020-07-16T12:23:00Z")

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Yes i know, but on this bad terrain a mouse wouldn't be very usable 😁

 ![15949021183797254721022431718445](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/f/6/f6e5cf2c339c941a5dff5f412986e2c4b95ac9f0.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/8 "2020-07-16T12:23:57Z")

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I often use my thigh or torso as a mouse mat.

I also use a wireless mouse and sometimes a mini keyboad mouse combo

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**Author:** ![lizzardguki](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/lizzardguki/32/103637_2.png) [@lizzardguki](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/lizzardguki)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/9 "2020-07-16T12:28:46Z")

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Sometimes me too, but I agree with the mouse i would be more productive. And maybe a larger screen so i wouldn't have to resize the flows every time i want to deploy 😁 and it would be a solution on the go 😁 But so far i lost my job time mostly reading the documentation of the API i want to connect with.

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**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/10 "2020-07-16T12:35:12Z")

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Yes more productive, you can copy /paste, scroll, click back and type. If you add a menu bar if your device doesn't have one, then you also get access to recent screenshots and home. Also you can DLNA to larger screen if you wish.

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 12:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/11 "2020-07-16T12:57:05Z")

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> [@lizzardguki](#):
>
> Well i bought a touch pen

What make model is it - I might try one myself again

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**Author:** ![lizzardguki](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/lizzardguki/32/103637_2.png) [@lizzardguki](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/lizzardguki)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 13:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/12 "2020-07-16T13:10:00Z")

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Just a simple pen with rubber head...

 ![15949049654635753014539561056104](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/6/6/663e98d663ba764c8ec927ed45e757324da727e5.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![ristomatti](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ristomatti/32/5857_2.png) [@ristomatti](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ristomatti)\
**Post date:** [16 July 2020 15:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/13 "2020-07-16T15:28:45Z")

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> [@lizzardguki](#):
>
> there are some bugs when typing/deleting (eg. Function node)

If you're on Android, I've noticed there's bugs with some virtual keyboards but some work flawlessly (for example Hacker's Keyboard).

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**Author:** ![tyeth](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tyeth/32/23442_2.png) [@tyeth](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tyeth)\
**Post date:** [20 July 2020 11:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/14 "2020-07-20T11:36:05Z")

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Also very keen on this, similar experience, personally using an S-Pen on Samsung note 9, it's very good for pixel perfect selecting everything except node-red 😁 where it's still very helpful but falls down on wiring.  
Also found resizing and hiding side panels could be way better/easier/possible on mobile / small-medium screens.  
A hint popup on how to use with touch would be appreciated too as I failed to bring up the long press menu for ages, might have been misfiring brain that day though.

@knolleary Love to help test/dev if I can be of use (not the greatest JS developer but willing and semi-able)

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [20 July 2020 16:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/15 "2020-07-20T16:44:48Z")

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Thumbwheels seem to have fallen out of fashion these days but they can be much better when travelling in a bumpy environment (yes, I'm talking about you British intercity trains!).

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2020 16:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/better-smartphone-support/30103/16 "2020-09-18T16:44:55Z")

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