Skip to main content

How to Access Your Development Computer’s Localhost from Your Mobile Phone

When building a Next.js app for mobile, I faced a common issue — testing the app on my phone while it’s running on localhost on my development machine. Trying to access localhost directly from my phone didn't work. Here's how I solved it using ngrok.

The Problem

When I tried accessing my localhost from my mobile phone’s browser or app, it simply didn’t connect. Since localhost is specific to your computer, devices on the same network, like your mobile phone, can’t access it directly. I needed a way to expose my development server to external devices.

The Solution: Using ngrok

I remembered using ngrok in a similar situation to expose my local development environment to the web. Here’s how I did it:

Step 1: Install ngrok

Since I was on a new laptop, ngrok wasn’t installed yet. If you’re in the same situation, you can easily install ngrok by heading to ngrok’s website and downloading it for your operating system.

Once installed, unzip the file and move ngrok to your /usr/local/bin/ folder for global access on your terminal:

unzip /path/to/ngrok.zip
mv ngrok /usr/local/bin


// if you use Mac OS
brew install ngrok/ngrok/ngrok

Step 2: Create an ngrok Account and Get the Authtoken

When I tried running ngrok with:

ngrok http 8080

I got the error:

authentication failed: Usage of ngrok requires a verified account and authtoken.

Since this was a new laptop, I hadn’t set up my ngrok authentication. I logged into my ngrok account and retrieved my authtoken.

You can add your authtoken to ngrok with the following command:

ngrok authtoken YOUR_AUTHTOKEN

This authenticates your machine with your ngrok account.

Step 3: Run ngrok

Now, with the authtoken set up, I ran:

ngrok http 8080

If your Next.js app is running on a different port, just replace 8080 with the correct port number.

After running this command, ngrok provided me with a public URL, something like:

http://abc123.ngrok.io

This URL is a publicly accessible address that tunnels directly to my localhost. I could now access my Next.js app from my mobile phone by opening this ngrok URL in my phone’s browser.

Conclusion

With ngrok set up, I could test my app on my mobile device while it was still running on my development machine. This method not only allows you to test mobile responsiveness but also enables testing how the app behaves on actual mobile hardware, with different network environments.

I hope this helps you quickly solve the problem of accessing localhost from your mobile phone. With just a few steps, ngrok can save you a lot of time and effort during your development process.

    Labels:

    Popular posts from this blog

    Xcode and iOS Version Mismatch: Troubleshooting "Incompatible Build Number" Errors

    Have you ever encountered a frustrating error while trying to run your iOS app in Xcode, leaving you scratching your head? A common issue arises when your device's iOS version is too new for the Xcode version you're using. This often manifests as an "incompatible build number" error, and looks like this: DVTDeviceOperation: Encountered a build number "" that is incompatible with DVTBuildVersion. This usually happens when you are testing with beta versions of either iOS or Xcode, and can prevent Xcode from properly compiling your storyboards. Let's explore why this occurs and what you can do to resolve it. Why This Error Occurs The core problem lies in the mismatch between the iOS version on your test device and the Software Development Kit (SDK) supported by your Xcode installation. Xcode uses the SDK to understand how to build and run apps for specific iOS versions. When your device runs a newer iOS version than Xcode anticipates, Xcode mi...
    Read more

    How to Fix the “Invariant Violation: TurboModuleRegistry.getEnforcing(…): ‘RNCWebView’ Could Not Be Found” Error in React Native

    When working with React Native, especially when integrating additional libraries like react-native-signature-canvas , encountering errors can be frustrating. One such error is: Invariant Violation: TurboModuleRegistry. getEnforcing (...): 'RNCWebView' could not be found This error often occurs when the necessary dependencies for a module are not properly linked or when the environment you’re using doesn’t support the required native modules. Here’s a breakdown of how I encountered and resolved this issue. The Problem I was working on a React Native project where I needed to add the react-native-signature-canvas library to capture user signatures. The installation process seemed straightforward: Installed the package: npm install react-native-signature- canvas 2. Since react-native-signature-canvas depends on react-native-webview , I also installed the WebView package: npm install react- native -webview 3. I navigated to the iOS directory and ran: cd ios pod install Everythi...
    Read more

    Fixing FirebaseMessagingError: Requested entity was not found.

    If you’re working with Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and encounter the error: FirebaseMessagingError: Requested entity was not found. with the error code: messaging/registration-token-not-registered this means that the FCM registration token is invalid, expired, or unregistered . This issue can prevent push notifications from being delivered to users. ๐Ÿ” Possible Causes & Solutions 1️⃣ Invalid or Expired FCM Token FCM tokens are not permanent and may expire over time. If you’re storing tokens in your database, some might be outdated. ✅ Solution: Remove invalid tokens from your database when sending push notifications. Refresh and store the latest FCM token when the app starts. Example: Automatically Refresh Token firebase. messaging (). onTokenRefresh ( ( newToken ) => { // Send newToken to your backend and update the stored token }); 2️⃣ Token Unregistered on Client Device A token might become unregistered if: The app is uninstalled on the user’s device. ...
    Read more