Connecting the Mobile App

Point the Dreamphase app at your self-hosted stack so dream data is stored on infrastructure you control, or use the bundled web UI if you prefer a browser interface.

Coming soon, author will fill this in

This page will cover the exact in-app setting path, the format of the base URL, and how to verify a successful connection. Details to be authored once the app setting is finalised.

How the app connects

The Dreamphase app has a setting that accepts a base URL for the API server. When set, the app routes all requests to your self-hosted stack instead of running in device-only mode. You do not need to recompile the app; the connection target is runtime-configurable.

The base URL you enter will look something like http://your-host:port, where your-host is the IP address or hostname of the machine running the stack and port is the API_PORT you configured.

Finding your stack URL

The URL you need depends on where you are accessing the stack from:

  • Same machine as the stack: use http://localhost:<API_PORT>
  • Another device on the same local network: use the host machine's local IP address, e.g. http://192.168.1.x:<API_PORT>
  • Via a reverse proxy with a domain: use the domain and port you configured in the proxy
text 
# Examples, replace host and port with your actual values
http://localhost:8543
http://192.168.1.42:8543
https://dreamphase.local

In-app configuration steps

  1. Open Settings

    Navigate to Settings in the Dreamphase app. The exact path will be documented here once finalised.

  2. Enter your stack base URL

    Paste the base URL of your local API server (e.g. http://192.168.1.42:8543). The app will validate that it can reach the stack before saving.

    You will also be prompted for an API key. Use the same value you set for API_KEY in your stack's .env file. The app stores it locally on the device and sends it with every request to authenticate against your server.

  3. Sign in

    After saving, sign in through the app. Authentication now routes through your own stack.

Using the bundled web UI instead

If you would rather not use the mobile app, the Dreamphase server hosts a web UI on the same port as the HTTP API. Open a browser on any device that can reach the host and navigate to http://your-host:<API_PORT>. See Using the Bundled Web UI for a full walkthrough.

The web UI is not a drop-in replacement for the mobile app

The web UI is intended for basic entry, recording, browsing, and editing dreams. It does not expose most of the features the mobile app provides. The Dreamphase server stores a richer set of data than the web UI surfaces (it exists primarily for multi-device sync and redundancy from the mobile app), so plenty of fields and views you see on your phone simply have no equivalent in the browser. If you need the full experience, use the mobile app and treat the web UI as a lightweight companion.

Verifying the connection

After connecting the app, confirm traffic is reaching your stack by checking the API server logs:

shell 
# Watch API server logs in real time
docker compose logs -f dreamphase

You should see incoming HTTP requests appear in the log as you use the app or web UI.