Can't login into mobile app using local environment

Hi, I can't login into the latest app. When I click on login, I get to a web browser to provide ling and pwd. I provide no error and it returns back to the main screen with buttons login and sign in with Apple. Nothing happens: no progress to the home screen nor error message. Just nothing.
I tried several accounts, passwords are correct. Updated the backend. Nothing helped.

Mobile app: iOS v3.97.0 build 1642
local backend: 3.75.7-stable

Hi @riskaone! By using local environment, do you mean your instance is running locally (localhost:3000)?

Yes, @Paulo. The local environment works fine via a desktop web browser on Windows 10/11, but on mobile, I can't log in to the mobile Retool app on my iPhone.

The only way you would be able to access your local environment from your phone is if you exposed your server to the internet. But before we take that route, what is your use case?

The retool local IS exposed to the internet. It has been working for more than a year. Now, it stopped. I checked the following scenarios:

  1. I can connect to retool local server from my Windows desktop on the local network to 192.168.178.120:3000.

  2. I can connect to retool local server from my Windows on the local network desktop to http://mysubdomain.domain.com:3000.

  3. I can connect on my iPhone using the Safari browser to 192.168.178.120:3000 via wifi (the mobile network is off) when the iPhone is in flight mode.

  4. I can connect on my iPhone using Safari browser to http://mysubdomain.domain.com:3000 via Mobile network (wifi is off).

  5. I can NOT connect in the mobile Retool app to the local retool server via wifi (the mobile network is off) when the iPhone is in flight mode. I used 192.168.178.120:3000

  6. I can NOT connect in the mobile Retool app to the local retool server via the mobile network (wifi is off). I used http://mysubdomain.domain.com:3000.

Thanks for clarifying! :slightly_smiling_face:

Just to double check as I'm raising this issue internally:

It sounds like we were able to connect using the Mobile App for over a year and now we can't, correct?

That's correct. In July, it was working fine. In recent days, when I wanted to use it, I couldn't connect. I updated the local server a week ago, but the issue persisted. But on iPhone I have an automated app update. So, I suspect that the reason could be in the mobile app, not the server.

I'm checking internally with our Mobile team to see if there has been any changes.

On the meantime,

  1. Is the device connected to a VPN?
  2. Could you share your host settings over a DM?

There was a change we recently made to our Mobile application that is causing this. Here is what you can do to solve this without having to wait for a new version:

Configure a DNS entry that maps retool.local to your local IP address. The .local domain is specifically handled by iOS for local network communications and is exempt from App Transport Security (ATS) restrictions. In recent iOS versions, direct HTTP requests to IP addresses are blocked by default, but .local domains are allowed for local network traffic.

I'm sorry that you haven't been able to log into you org using the Mobile app because of this change. Thank you for surfacing this and please let us know if you have any questions!

Thank you for your reply, but my typical scenario doesn't use a local network to access the mobile app. I did this test on the local net just to test all scenarios and simple ones. I mostly use subdmain.domain.com . This domain access doesn't work but worked before.

Did we try connecting via wfi (mobile network off) using http://mysubdomain.domain.com:3000?

yes. It doesn't work. I use http://subdomain.zapto.com:3000

I also tried HTTP://88.97.xx.xx:3000 - doesn't work
from desktop on LAN network HTTP://88.97.xx.xx:3000 works

Thanks for verifying! :slightly_smiling_face:

We should be able to use:

  • Unqualified domains like http://mydomain/example (no dots)
  • .local domain like http://mydomain.local/example (which is treated special by iOS)
  • A real domain with HTTPS.
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Thanks. So, what I see from your response. HTTP is not supported anymore to access from the Internet. From the internet httpS has to be used now.

That’s correct! Feel free to reach out if you encounter any issues after setting up HTTPS.