# FlowFuse - Mobile App

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [19 July 2024 02:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614 "2024-07-19T02:14:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![imperium85](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/imperium85/32/83662_2.png) [@imperium85](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/imperium85)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 02:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/1 "2024-07-19T02:14:00Z")

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Hi People,

I'm not sure where to ask, so I leave it in here.  
I have a Node-Red project (soon to be moved to FlowFuse) manages an API and getting some date through the API works as it should. I would need to build a mobile app that has some buttons that would trigger flows in my Node Red application.  
For example, I turn on a relay by pushing a button on the Node Red dashboard. One of the funcions I'm looking for is to trigger the same flow that turns on this relay from a mobile app by pushing a button.  
What would be the easyest way to do this?

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**Author:** ![HaroldPetersInskipp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/haroldpetersinskipp/32/42319_2.png) [@HaroldPetersInskipp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/HaroldPetersInskipp)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 15:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/2 "2024-07-19T15:25:22Z")

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On iOS I use the Shortcuts app by Apple to send GET requests (or POST depending on usage) to my Node-RED instances from the same local network to control my home automatons. It only requires the `HTTP in node` and `HTTP out node` from the core Node-Red palette to function. Then you can also use Siri with voice commands to trigger the shortcut/automation.

I'm sure there must be some Android equivalent to this but I couldn't tell you what it is.

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**Author:** ![joepavitt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/joepavitt/32/59722_2.png) [@joepavitt](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/joepavitt)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 16:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/3 "2024-07-19T16:27:32Z")

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Any dashboard built with [FlowFuse Dashboard (Dashboard 2.0)](https://dashboard.flowfuse.com/) can be installed natively to any mobile device: [Installing Dashboards on Mobile | Node-RED Dashboard 2.0](https://dashboard.flowfuse.com/user/pwa.html)

Be sure to use the ["Grid" layout option](https://dashboard.flowfuse.com/layouts/types/grid.html) so everything auto-scales when on a mobile screen, and it'll _just work_.

So you could have your existing Dashboard (if built with Dashboard 2.0) just installed to your mobile phone.

Alternatively, if you want to have this as a standalone thing, without exposing other pieces of functionality from a Dashboard, when you're running on FlowFuse, you can use the [Project Nodes](https://flowfuse.com/docs/user/projectnodes/). That allows you to easily communicate between two different instances (in this case your core, functional instance, and the second, an instance that's just your Dashboard button to trigger your flows)

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**Author:** ![HaroldPetersInskipp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/haroldpetersinskipp/32/42319_2.png) [@HaroldPetersInskipp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/HaroldPetersInskipp)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 16:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/4 "2024-07-19T16:47:45Z")

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Quick question on that, I'm on very old iOS version (to maintain a jailbreak) so I have no experience with PWA's.

When installed on mobile as a PWA if I don't have access to the network my Node-RED instance is on after installing the application, will it still function (using a single flow, that does not require input from anywhere but the dashboard, does serve static images though)?

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**Author:** ![joepavitt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/joepavitt/32/59722_2.png) [@joepavitt](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/joepavitt)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 17:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/5 "2024-07-19T17:32:44Z")

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It will cache local content, but if you've lost connection to wherever your source Node-RED flow runs, then there wouldn't be a way for your Dashboard to talk to it.

In the original post, it was mentioned that the instance would be running on FlowFuse, i.e. cloud-hosted, at which point, no need to worry about connection (as long as you're connected to the internet)

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**Author:** ![HaroldPetersInskipp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/haroldpetersinskipp/32/42319_2.png) [@HaroldPetersInskipp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/HaroldPetersInskipp)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 17:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/6 "2024-07-19T17:36:53Z")

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Thanks, that's what I had figured. I'm approaching completion of a flow for a project I plan to package with Electron but figured it might be worth looking into PWA's instead, but for my needs it seems Electron might be the way to go as I intend to release on Steam.

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**Author:** ![joepavitt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/joepavitt/32/59722_2.png) [@joepavitt](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/joepavitt)\
**Post date:** [19 July 2024 17:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/7 "2024-07-19T17:47:56Z")

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> [@HaroldPetersInskipp](#):
>
> but for my needs it seems Electron might be the way to go as I intend to release on Steam.

Yep - Electron will suit better here. PWA's mostly just enable install via a browser, rather than install through native app stores.

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**Author:** ![imperium85](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/imperium85/32/83662_2.png) [@imperium85](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/imperium85)\
**Post date:** [21 July 2024 07:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/8 "2024-07-21T07:13:16Z")

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wow, great thank i will check this out

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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:** [19 October 2024 07:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flowfuse-mobile-app/89614/9 "2024-10-19T07:13:40Z")

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