this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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33
Self hosting on an Android mobile? (lemm.ee)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Hey y'all, I was reading this self hosting user survey at selfh.st and noticed that some people said they self-host on a mobile phone.

I have an Android phone here I could use and I can picture setting up the phone and then just leaving it plugged in, in a corner somewhere. That seems like a good use for all that computing power but I'm not sure how to get started.

I found this article showing how we can use a phone for a web server:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/host-a-web-server-on-android

But is there any way to host other apps / services on a phone? Does it have to be rooted first?

Any pitfalls or other tips you can share when to doing this?

Thanks!

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I've always been hesitant to host any services on a device with a non-removable battery. Having a battery constantly charging and discharging isn't great for it and could potentially be a fire hazard. I know modern devices have gotten much smarter about how they charge, so maybe it's not as much of an issue anymore, but still something to be aware of depending on how old your phone is or how you modify the firmware.

Personally, with how cheap you can find a mini PC or SBC, I would just save up a bit (maybe even sell the device you're planning to host on) and keep an eye out for deals. You're going to get a lot more freedom and power with those devices, and not have to try to hack around the limitations of a mobile OS.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

with how cheap you can find a mini PC or SBC,

Be careful with SBCs as they can be a money grab. When you sum it all, SBC + charger + cables + case you'll end up with a price similar to an HP Mini i5-8th gen that is 10x more powerful and stable.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I've always been hesitant to host any services on a device with a non-removable battery. Having a battery constantly charging and discharging isn't great for it and could potentially be a fire hazard.

I once had a phone that was being used as an NVR, and for a while it worked like a charm.

Except for the fact that since it was being run unattended, I hadn't noticed the swelling battery pack. I only noticed it when i realized that my glass screen protector had popped off due to the bending of the phone... I did replace the battery, and the phone still works to this day, but I'll never use a phone as a server/NAS every again.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Thank you, this is all solid advice.