How to use the app

First run

Set up your server (the app does the work)

Install PhoneRig and tap "Get started"

Use the phone you want to be the server - an old one you can leave plugged in is perfect. Keep it on Wi-Fi and on the charger.

See what you could build

A short "What will you build?" tour opens first: a business site with bookings, a blog, a personal cloud drive, a pocket Linux server, a travel proxy and more. It's a menu of ideas, not a commitment - you can build any of them later.

Pick your address

Choose how visitors reach you: a free subdomain like yourname.phonerig.app, your own domain (guide here) - the easy managed option, or the cheaper DIY route on your own Cloudflare - or Wi-Fi only for a private start. You can change this any time later.

Step 1: where should people find your site

Let the setup finish

PhoneRig unpacks a tiny Linux system and starts your web server by itself - usually a few minutes. You can leave the app or lock the screen; setup keeps running and the notification shows progress.

You're live

The Server tab shows a green dot and Your server is on, with your address in the Live at card underneath. Tap it to open your site - that's the page the world sees.

Tip: the app follows your phone's language, and you can force English (or another language) any time - the globe in the top-right corner, or Settings → Language.

Around the app

Five tabs, one job each

The tabs sit on a floating glass bar at the bottom - the page scrolls underneath it, and the tab you're on lights up.

Server

Is everything ok?

One glance answers it: server on, real uptime, live traffic, and vitals (battery · RAM · storage · network). Below that, a health line and the recent-activity log that answers "what happened last night?"

Address

Where people find you

Your web address with copy, share and QR buttons, the upgrade to your own domain, and the travel proxy - browse with your home connection while you're away. SSH and the in-app terminal live here too, under "For developers".

My app

The thing you're hosting

Your website (or installed app) with live status, a preview card, and edit shortcuts. Change app type any time - Simple page, WordPress, a file drive, code hosting and more, each with a "what's this for?" explainer.

Backups

Your safety net

Back up now, automatic weekly backups to your Downloads folder, restore with a warning first, and optional passphrase encryption.

Settings

Set and forget

Theme and language, app lock, battery care, uptime monitoring, your purchases, and Fleet on this Wi-Fi (beta) - see your other PhoneRig phones on the same network.

Your website

Three ways to get a site you love

Design my website - the friendly way

On the My app tab, pick a style - four looks in fresh 2026 colors, each with its own accent picker - and PhoneRig builds a beautiful one-page site. Free.

Add your details, menu & hours

Your name, photos, a menu with prices (leave a price off and the line stays plain), and opening hours day by day - your site shows a live Open now badge. Your Call and WhatsApp buttons just work: your number carries its country code, and your address becomes a one-tap Get directions map link.

Preview, publish, print the QR

The last step shows your real site - scroll it, poke it, then put it online. Visitors can pick a service and send a booking straight to your WhatsApp. You also get a QR code to print for the shop window. Edit any time - changes go live instantly.

Site builder step 3: live preview of your website

Install an app - when you need more

WordPress is our pick when your site grows: a full blog/shop platform, one tap to install via My app → Change app type. There's also a personal file drive, your own Git server and more. Installed apps show their login details right in the app.

The My app tab, where Change app type lives

Build with AI - for the ambitious

Design a fully custom site on your computer with AI tools, then host it on your phone for free. My app → Change app type → Custom / build with AI walks you through the workflow.

Wondering what else the phone can do? A website is just the start - see all 16 things people build with PhoneRig, from a personal cloud drive to a travel proxy.

Care & feeding

Keep your server happy

Plugged in, on Wi-Fi

Your phone is the server. Keep it on the charger and on your home Wi-Fi so visitors can always reach it.

Protect the battery

Most phones can cap charging to protect a battery that lives at 100%. Settings → Battery care takes you to the right switch.

Back it up

The Backups tab: weekly automatic backups to your Downloads folder and one-tap restore. Uptime alerts live in Settings → Uptime monitoring.

Updates

Update PhoneRig from Google Play like any app - your server and its data stay put. The app tells you when a new version is out.

If something's off

Troubleshooting in three moves

Restart the server

Server tab → Restart. This fixes most hiccups in seconds.

Peek at the activity log

Server tab → Recent activity. It's a plain-language log of starts, stops and connectivity drops - what happened, and why, shows up there first.

Ask us on Discord

Stuck? Join the PhoneRig Discord - we're friendly, and screenshots of the log screen help a lot.

Site unreachable from other networks? Check the Server tab first: if it says Your server is on but visitors can't reach you, the Live at card tells you whether your public address is connected.