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Mobile Access

Bambuddy is fully responsive and works great on mobile devices. Access your print farm from anywhere on your network.

Progressive Web App (PWA)

Bambuddy can be installed as a PWA for a native app-like experience — full screen, home screen icon, and no browser UI. However, PWA support varies significantly between browsers and platforms.

HTTPS Requirement

Chromium Browsers Require HTTPS

Chrome, Edge, and Samsung Internet require a secure connection (HTTPS) to install a PWA. If you access Bambuddy over plain HTTP (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8000), the install option will not appear in these browsers.

Safari on iOS does not have this restriction — Add to Home Screen works over plain HTTP.

Connection Safari (iOS) Chrome / Edge Firefox
https://bambuddy.local Works Works No PWA support
http://192.168.1.100:8000 Works Blocked No PWA support
http://localhost:8000 Works Works No PWA support

Installing on iOS (Safari)

Safari does not show an install prompt — you add the app manually:

  1. Open Bambuddy in Safari (other iOS browsers don't support PWA)
  2. Tap the Share button
  3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen
  4. Tap Add to confirm

Safari Only

On iOS, only Safari supports PWA installation. Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers on iOS cannot install PWAs to the home screen.

Installing on Android (Chrome / Edge)

  1. Open Bambuddy in Chrome or Edge over HTTPS
  2. Tap the menu button
  3. Tap Install app or Add to Home Screen
  4. Tap Install to confirm

If the install option does not appear, check that:

  • You are using HTTPS (not plain HTTP)
  • The page has fully loaded
  • You are not in incognito/private mode

Installing on Desktop

Browser PWA Support
Chrome Yes (HTTPS required)
Edge Yes (HTTPS required)
Firefox No (removed PWA support)
Safari (macOS) No

In Chrome or Edge, look for the install icon () in the address bar, or go to Menu → Install Bambuddy.

Setting Up HTTPS for Local Network

If you want PWA installation in Chrome/Edge, you need HTTPS. Here are your options:

Use Caddy or nginx as a reverse proxy with a self-signed or local CA certificate:

# Example Caddy config (automatic self-signed cert)
bambuddy.local:443 {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8000
    tls internal
}

Then access Bambuddy at https://bambuddy.local.

Tailscale provides automatic HTTPS certificates for devices on your tailnet:

  1. Install Tailscale on your Bambuddy server
  2. Enable HTTPS certificates
  3. Access via https://your-machine.your-tailnet.ts.net:8000

For testing purposes only, you can tell Chrome to treat a specific HTTP origin as secure:

  1. Open chrome://flags/#unsafely-treat-insecure-origin-as-secure
  2. Add your Bambuddy URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8000)
  3. Restart Chrome

Not Recommended for Production

This flag lowers browser security. Use only for testing PWA installation on your own network.

PWA Feature Comparison

Feature Safari (iOS) Chrome (Android) Chrome (Desktop) Edge (Desktop)
Home screen icon
Full screen (no browser UI)
Works over HTTP
Automatic install prompt
Offline caching
Push notifications iOS 16.4+
Background sync

Best Experience

For the best PWA experience on all platforms, set up HTTPS using one of the methods above. This unlocks PWA installation in Chrome and Edge while also securing your connection.

Touch-Friendly Interface

The mobile interface is optimized for touch:

Hamburger Navigation

Tap the menu icon to open the navigation drawer on smaller screens.

Long Press Menus

Long press on cards to open context menus (like right-click on desktop).

Large Touch Targets

All buttons and interactive elements are at least 44px for easy tapping.

Safe Area Support

Works with notched devices (iPhone X+, etc.) with proper safe area insets.

Responsive Layouts

Printers Page

Desktop Mobile
Multi-column grid Single column cards
Side-by-side AMS Stacked AMS display
Full temperature readouts Compact temp display

Archives Page

Desktop Mobile
Card grid with filters Single column with collapsible filters
Right-click context menu Long press for menu
Inline editing Modal editing

Statistics Page

Desktop Mobile
Multi-widget dashboard Single column widgets
Side-by-side charts Stacked charts
Drag to reorder Simplified ordering

Accessing from Your Network

Local Network Access

Access Bambuddy from any device on your local network:

  1. Find your server's IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
  2. Open http://192.168.1.100:8000 on your phone
  3. Bookmark or install as PWA

Finding Your IP

On Linux/macOS: ip addr or ifconfig

On Windows: ipconfig

Remote Access (Advanced)

For access outside your home network:

Set up a VPN (like WireGuard or Tailscale) to securely access your home network from anywhere. Tailscale also provides automatic HTTPS certificates which enables PWA installation in Chrome/Edge.

Set up a reverse proxy with HTTPS. See the Docker guide for Nginx configuration. This also enables PWA installation in Chrome/Edge — see HTTPS setup above.

Security

Never expose Bambuddy directly to the internet without proper authentication and HTTPS. Your printer access codes would be vulnerable!

Mobile Shortcuts

While physical keyboard shortcuts don't apply on mobile, Bambuddy provides quick-access buttons:

Action How to Access
Add printer Floating action button on Printers page
Quick search Search icon in header
Refresh Pull down to refresh (PWA)
Context menu Long press on cards

Mobile Notifications

Get push notifications on your phone when prints complete, fail, or encounter errors.

Bambuddy supports:

  • ntfy - Install the ntfy app and subscribe to your topic
  • Telegram - Receive messages from your Bambuddy bot
  • Pushover - Professional push notification app
  • WhatsApp - Via CallMeBot integration

Set up notifications

Camera on Mobile

Watch your prints from anywhere:

  1. Tap the camera icon on any printer card
  2. Choose Live for real-time streaming or Snapshot for still images
  3. Pinch to zoom on the live feed

Bandwidth

Live streaming uses more data than snapshots. On cellular, consider using snapshot mode.

Tips for Mobile Use

  1. Use WiFi - Live streaming and real-time updates work best on WiFi
  2. Enable notifications - Get alerted without keeping the app open
  3. Install as PWA - Faster launch and better experience
  4. Bookmark important pages - Quick access to specific printers or stats

🏁 Next Steps

Set Up Notifications
Never miss a print event

Camera Streaming
Watch prints remotely

Statistics
Track your prints