How to test Web app on a local network with other local devices

bryhutson

I'm unable to make this work, but it seems like it should be easy to do? I select Publish -> Test on this computer and the web app shows up in my default Mac browser. Other browsers on my test computer launch the app with no problem.

However, I'd like to launch iOS Safari from my phone on same local network and type in the IP address and port for the local test server and test the web app from that device.

I expected Run to fail since it's limited to single-connection and it's debug. However, I was hoping Publish -> Test would allow local network testing from other local devices if I have a valid Objo license.

Garry

Your instinct is right. The app you create with Publish > Test on this computer will happily serve other devices on your network. The catch is the Start Test button: like Run, it's deliberately loopback-only (private address, random port each run), so nothing outside your computer can reach it. To test from your iPhone, start the published executable yourself:

Choose Solution > Publish > Test on this computer > Create App as before.
In the results window, choose Reveal Executable to see where the app was created (a single self-contained executable in your project's Publish folder).

Run it in a terminal - drag the executable into Terminal so the path is filled in for you - with no arguments:

   /path/to/Publish/MyApp/target/MyApp

With the default settings it prints Web application listening on http://0.0.0.0:8080/, which means it is accepting connections on all of this computer's addresses. You can add --urls http://0.0.0.0:8080 to be explicit, or pick a different port.

Find your Mac's address on that Wi-Fi network (System Settings > Wi-Fi > Details, or run ipconfig getifaddr en0 in Terminal), then open http://that-address:8080 in Safari on the iPhone.

If the phone still can't connect, check:

Firewall - the first launch should prompt to allow incoming network connections; choose Allow (otherwise add it under System Settings > Network > Firewall).
Both devices are on the same network, and it isn't a guest network that isolates clients from each other.
Project Settings > Web > Published Application Defaults controls the built-in listen port and whether the app binds All interfaces (the default) or This computer only; those choices are baked into the published app.

Don't set --public-url for this kind of testing - that option is for production deployments behind a reverse proxy where the public address differs from the listening address. Press Ctrl+C in the terminal when you're finished.

The Web getting-started guide covers this case in its troubleshooting table ("A published app works locally but cannot be reached from another computer"): https://docs.objo.dev/web-getting-started

I've also logged a feature request to make this a one-click option - a Start Test mode that serves the app on the local network and shows the address to open from your phone: https://feedback.objo.dev/feature/1681

bryhutson

Thank you and much appreciated!

Garry

I’ve now implemented the feature request for the next release, so you’ll be able to do this directly from Studio:

Choose Solution > Publish > Test on this computer > Create App.
In the results window, tick Allow other devices on my local network.
Click Start Test, then open one of the displayed network addresses in Safari on your iPhone.

Your Mac’s browser can continue using the app at the same time. Both devices need to be on the same network, and you may need to allow incoming connections if macOS displays a firewall prompt.

The checkbox is off by default and only affects that test. It doesn’t change your project’s published hosting settings. Stop Test or closing the results window stops the app as before.