Control your ESP32 from your phone, no app code
Design phone-sized buttons in the App stage, open the project's app page on your phone, and tap to switch an LED or move a servo over Wi-Fi.
The short answer
ArduinoStudio turns App stage buttons into a phone control panel for an ESP32. Each button runs a Logic sequence, and over Wi-Fi it reaches the board through the ArduinoStudio relay. Open the project's app page on your phone, sign in to the account that set the board up, and tap. Keep the page open while you use it.
Works today
- Buttons that run Logic sequences, such as Lamp on and Lamp off.
- An app page for each project, which you can save to your home screen.
- Demos with no account: Desk Status and Focus Companion.
- Control from anywhere with internet, while the page is open.
- Sharing the app link shares the controls, not your board.
Not yet
- An app-store app. The app page runs in your phone’s browser.
- Control with the page closed. The browser runs the program.
- Editing on a phone. The editor needs a screen at least 768 pixels wide.
- The Relay, RGB LED, Thermometer, IR motion sensor, Piezo buzzer and DC motor blocks over Wi-Fi.
- Voice assistants or smart home integrations. There are none.
- Bench tests on the ESP32-S2, S3 and C3. The classic ESP32 is the bench-tested board.
Buttons you design
In the App stage, place buttons and labels, then pick which Logic sequences each button runs on click, double-click or hold. The Phone preview shows how it fits a phone screen.
An app page for every project
Open standalone app shows your controls without the editor. The page has a web app manifest, so you can save it to your home screen and open it like an app.
Your board stays yours
Share the app link and other people see the same controls, but they cannot reach your ESP32: each account connects its own device. Physical devices remain private to their owners.
How it works
You need
- An ESP32 DevKit set up for Wi-Fi
- A phone with a web browser and internet
- A computer with Chrome or Edge, once, for the setup
Optional parts
- An LED and a 220 Ω resistor, or a small hobby servo
- 1
Set the board up once
Plug the ESP32 into a computer with Chrome or Edge, install ArduinoStudio-FW and set up Wi-Fi from the plug icon.
- 2
Design the buttons
In App, add a button for each thing you want to do and choose the Logic sequence it runs.
- 3
Open the app page on your phone
In App, choose Open standalone app, then open the same address on your phone and sign in to the account that set the board up. Save it to your home screen if you like.
- 4
Pick your board and tap
On the app page, choose Connections and your own device, then tap a button. Keep the page open while you use it.
Projects with phone controls
Each of these comes with its App panel ready. The Desk Status and Focus Companion demos open with no account.
ESP32 Wi-Fi Lamp
Runs over Wi-FiLamp on and Lamp off buttons switch the LED on GPIO2. Most classic ESP32 DevKits have a built-in LED on GPIO2, so you need no extra parts.
Parts: ESP32 DevKit and a USB data cable. Optional: an LED and a 220 Ω resistor.
App buttons: Lamp on, Lamp off
Sign in and open the Wi-Fi Lamp →Desk Status
Runs over Wi-FiBusy turns a red LED on, Available turns a green LED on, Lights off clears both. The red LED is on GPIO25 and the green LED on GPIO26.
Parts: ESP32 DevKit, a red LED, a green LED and two 220 Ω resistors.
App buttons: Busy, Available, Lights off
Try the Desk Status app →Focus Companion
Runs over Wi-FiA 25-minute focus session and a 5-minute break, with an LED on GPIO25 that blinks when the time is up. The timer runs in the browser, so keep the app page open.
Parts: ESP32 DevKit, an LED and a 220 Ω resistor.
App buttons: Focus · 25 min, Break · 5 min, Test signal, Cancel timer
Try the Focus Companion app →
My desk
Make space for focused work.
Try a phone app with no board
Open the Desk Status app on your phone: no account and no board. Tap Busy, Available or Lights off and the preview responds.
Try the Desk Status appQuick answers
Do I need to build a phone app?
No. The App stage builds the controls, and each project gets an app page that opens in your phone’s browser. There is nothing to install from an app store.
Can someone else control my board with the shared link?
No. A shared app link shares the controls and, if the project is public, its blocks. It does not share your ESP32: each account connects its own device.
Does it work when I’m away from home?
Yes, with internet at both ends. The board stays on your home Wi-Fi and the phone reaches it through the ArduinoStudio relay, not a local web server, so it works from anywhere with internet while the app page is open and signed in.
Does it work without internet?
No. Wi-Fi control goes through the ArduinoStudio relay, so the board and the phone both need internet. Without it, connect the board to a computer with the USB cable.
Can I move a servo from my phone?
Yes. The Servo block runs over Wi-Fi, so an App button can run a sequence that moves a servo to an angle. Use a pin the ESP32 can drive; the app refuses an input-only pin before the run starts.
Can I edit the project on my phone?
No. The editor needs a laptop or desktop with a screen at least 768 pixels wide. On a phone, use the app page to run the controls.
Written for ArduinoStudio v6.0, released 2026-10-18.