Remote access

Reach your phone from anywhere

Notedog keeps your journal on your phone and serves it to a browser over HTTPS, so you can write and edit from the comfortable keyboard and big screen of your laptop, desktop, or any other device. There are three ways to reach it, depending on where that browser is and how much setup you want.

Option 1 — On this network

The simplest option: a browser on the same network as your phone connects directly to it. No setup beyond starting the server.

In Notedog, open the drawer and turn on On this network.
Open the https://… address it shows from a browser on the same Wi-Fi, then pair the browser when prompted.

When it won’t work: both devices must be on the same network, so this doesn’t cover cellular or a laptop on a different Wi-Fi. Some public, guest, and café networks also isolate devices from each other (“client isolation”), so the phone’s private IP isn’t reachable even when both devices are connected to it. In those cases, use Option 2 or 3.

The local address uses a self-signed certificate, so the browser shows a one-time security warning the first time you open it — that’s expected; accept it to continue.

Option 2 — On the internet (tunnel)

The built-in tunnel gives your phone a public address (for example your-name.t.notedog.run) you can open from any browser, on any network — useful when you’re off Wi-Fi or on cellular. It’s the zero-setup remote option: one toggle in the app, nothing to install on the other device.

In Notedog, turn on On this network if it isn’t already running.
Turn on On the internet (tunnel). The first time, you’ll sign in and confirm.
Open the *.t.notedog.run address it shows from any browser, then pair the browser when prompted.

Unlike the local address, the tunnel address has a valid certificate, so there’s no security warning to click through — it opens like any normal HTTPS site.

The tunnel is a paid subscription — its current price is shown in the app at purchase (billed through Google Play, in your local currency). The same-network and Tailscale options are free. The relay we run only forwards traffic between your phone and your paired browser — it doesn’t store your journal, requests, or responses. Because a relay sits between your phone and the public internet, treat the tunnel as use-at-your-own-risk and keep it on only while you need it. See the privacy policy for details.

Option 3 — Tailscale

Tailscale is a free third-party tool that puts your devices on a private network of their own, so they can reach each other by a stable address even when they’re on different networks. Nothing is exposed to the public internet, and traffic stays between your devices. It takes a little setup, but it’s a solid free alternative if you’d rather not use the tunnel.

Install Tailscale on your phone and on the device you’ll edit from, and sign in to the same account on both.
In Notedog, turn on On this network.
Find your phone’s Tailscale address in the Tailscale app, and open https://<that-address>:<port> in the other device’s browser — use the same port shown in Notedog’s On this network address. As with the local address, you’ll accept the self-signed certificate warning once.

Open tailscale.com

Which should I use?

On this network — no setup, but only works when both devices are on the same network (and some networks block it).
On the internet (tunnel) — easiest way in from anywhere, nothing to install on the other device, valid certificate. Paid.
Tailscale — free and fully private to your own devices, works from anywhere, but you install and sign in to Tailscale on each device.

All three keep your journal on your phone. They only change how a browser reaches it — none of them stores your notes anywhere.

Connecting an AI assistant instead of a browser? The tunnel also powers remote MCP — hook up Claude.ai, ChatGPT, or Claude Code to your journal. See connecting an AI agent.