Android App

Access Crow from your Android device with the native app or as a Progressive Web App (PWA).

Option A: Install the APK

Step 1: Download the APK

Download the latest Crow Android app:

Download Crow for Android (v1.4.0)

Debug-signed build

v1.4.0 is signed with the debug keystore rather than the release keystore. It includes the new Meta Ray-Ban glasses integration, which requires a specific signing fingerprint registered at Meta's Wearables Developer Center — the debug key is currently the one registered there. A release-signed APK will ship once the release fingerprint is also authorized on Meta's side.

If you already have v1.3.0 installed, you need to uninstall it first before installing v1.4.0 — Android refuses to upgrade between builds signed with different keys.

Looking for the older release? Download v1.3.0 (release-signed).

Step 2: Enable unknown sources

Before installing, allow your device to install apps from outside the Play Store:

1. Open Settings on your Android device
2. Go to Security (or Privacy on some devices)
3. Enable Install from unknown sources (or Install unknown apps)
4. If prompted for a specific app, allow your browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)

TIP

On Android 8+, this setting is per-app. You only need to allow the browser you used to download the APK.

Step 3: Install

1. Open the downloaded app-debug.apk file
2. Tap Install when prompted
3. Once installed, open the Crow app

Step 4: Connect to your gateway

1. Enter your gateway URL (e.g., http://100.121.254.89:3001 or https://your-server.ts.net)
2. Tap Test Connection to verify
3. Log in with your Crow's Nest password

Option B: PWA (no install)

If you prefer not to install an APK, you can add the Crow's Nest as a home screen app directly from Chrome:

1. Open Chrome on your Android device
2. Navigate to your Crow's Nest URL (e.g., http://100.121.254.89:3001)
3. Log in to the Crow's Nest
4. Tap the three-dot menu (top right)
5. Tap Add to Home Screen
6. Name it "Crow" and tap Add

The PWA runs in a standalone window without browser chrome, giving it a native app feel. The PWA does not support the Meta Glasses integration — that requires the native APK.

Tailscale Setup

If your Crow gateway runs on a home server or local network, install Tailscale to access it from anywhere:

1. Install Tailscale from the Play Store
2. Open Tailscale and sign in with the same account used on your server
3. Toggle Tailscale on
4. Use your server's Tailscale IP as the gateway URL (e.g., http://100.121.254.89:3001)

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Tailscale runs in the background with minimal battery impact. Your Crow connection stays available as long as Tailscale is active.

Push Notifications

The Crow app delivers push notifications through two channels:

Instant push via ntfy (v1.3.0+)

When the ntfy bundle is installed on your Crow instance, the app maintains a persistent connection to the ntfy server and delivers notifications instantly. No separate app needed.

1. Install the ntfy bundle on your Crow instance (from Extensions or crow bundle install ntfy)
2. Open the Crow app and connect to your gateway
3. The app automatically detects ntfy and starts the push listener
4. A small "Crow connected" indicator appears in your notification shade

The ntfy listener runs as a background service, surviving app closure and device reboots.

Background polling (fallback)

If ntfy is not installed, the app polls your gateway every 15 minutes for new notifications. This is slower but requires no additional setup.

Notification setup

1. When the app first launches, it will request notification permission — tap Allow
2. If you dismissed the prompt, go to Android Settings > Apps > Crow > Notifications and enable them
3. Notification preferences can be configured in Crow's Nest > Settings > Notifications

Features

All Crow's Nest panels are available from the Android app:

• Calls — Peer-to-peer voice and video calling with camera support
• Memory — Browse and search your stored memories
• Messages — AI Chat and peer messaging
• Blog — Read and manage posts
• Files — Upload, download, and manage stored files
• Podcasts — Subscribe to feeds and stream episodes
• Contacts — View and manage your contact list
• Skills — Browse available skills
• Settings — Full configuration access

Meta Ray-Ban Glasses (v1.4.0)

The app can pair with Meta Ray-Ban (Gen 2) smart glasses via Meta's official Wearables Device Access Toolkit and drive them with your own BYOAI. Voice turns captured on the glasses flow through your configured Speech-to-Text → AI → Text-to-Speech profiles on your Crow instance, and the answer plays back through the glasses' speakers.

• Requires Android 14+ (API 34) for the connected-device foreground service
• Gen 1 Ray-Ban Stories are not supported (Meta's DAT SDK doesn't expose the required primitives on Gen 1)
• The glasses must already be paired in the Meta AI companion app before pairing with Crow
• See the Meta Glasses guide for the full setup walkthrough

Instant Push Notifications (v1.3.0)

With the ntfy bundle installed, notifications arrive within a second. Calls, messages, reminders, and system alerts all push to your phone instantly without the 15-minute polling delay. See Notifications & Push for details.

Voice and Video Calls (v1.2.0)

The Calls panel lets you start peer-to-peer voice and video calls with your contacts:

• Audio calls with echo cancellation and noise suppression
• Camera video with adaptive quality (adjusts to network conditions)
• Standalone call pages via shareable room links
• Camera permission is requested only when you first enable video

Troubleshooting

"Connection refused" or timeout

• Verify your gateway is running (npm run gateway or Docker)
• Check that your device can reach the server IP — try opening the URL in Chrome first
• If using Tailscale, make sure it's connected on both the phone and the server

SSL certificate errors

• If your gateway uses a self-signed certificate, Chrome and the app may block the connection
• Use Tailscale Funnel for automatic HTTPS, or access via plain HTTP over Tailscale (the VPN encrypts traffic)

App not installing

• Make sure you enabled "Install from unknown sources" for the correct app (your browser)
• Check that your Android version is 14.0 or higher (the new Meta Glasses features require API 34; older Android versions can use v1.3.0)
• If storage is full, free up space and retry
• If upgrading from v1.3.0, uninstall the old version first — v1.4.0 uses a different signing key

PWA not working offline

The PWA requires a network connection to your gateway. It does not cache data for offline use — it connects to your Crow instance in real time.

Meta Glasses issues

See the dedicated Meta Glasses guide for pairing and voice-turn troubleshooting.