Can you run SillyTavern on iPhone? Three ways that work

Last updated September 16, 2026 · iPhone and iPad · By the developer of LonelyTavern

The short answer

No. SillyTavern is a Node.js server, and iOS cannot run it the way Android can through Termux. The official FAQ says iPhones and iPads "are not capable of running the whole SillyTavern app."
The official route is a PC on your Wi-Fi. The server runs there, and Safari opens it. Ten minutes of setup, and the PC stays on.
Two more routes exist: a VPN such as Tailscale for use away from home, and an unofficial port that runs the whole server on the phone if you build it with Xcode.

Route 1: your PC on the same Wi-Fi

This is what the SillyTavern docs recommend. Do it on the computer that already runs SillyTavern.

Find config.yaml in the SillyTavern folder itself, not the one under default. It exists once SillyTavern has run at least once.
Turn on listening. Change the line to listen: true.
Allow your home network. The server refuses to start with listening on and no access control, so add the whitelist the docs give for "any device on the local network":
```
whitelist:
  - ::1
  - 127.0.0.1
  - 10.0.0.0/8
  - 172.16.0.0/12
  - 192.168.0.0/16
```
Restart SillyTavern. The console should now say it is listening on 0.0.0.0:8000. If it still says 127.0.0.1, the edit did not take.
Open it on the iPhone. In Safari, go to http:// followed by the PC's local address and :8000, for example http://192.168.1.20:8000. Windows shows the address under Wi-Fi settings; on a Mac it is in System Settings under Wi-Fi, Details.
Add it to the Home Screen. Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. SillyTavern opens full screen with its own icon, like an app.

If the page will not load, the usual causes are the PC's firewall blocking Node on the first run, the phone on a guest network, or the whitelist missing 127.0.0.1. The docs also offer a username and password through basicAuthMode. It travels in plain text, so the docs suggest HTTPS if that concerns you.

Route 2: away from home, through a VPN

The docs are blunt about the alternative: never expose the server to the internet with port forwarding. Use a VPN or a tunnel instead. Their tunneling guide lists four options, and Tailscale is the one with a step-by-step walkthrough.

Tailscale: free for one person. Install it on the PC and the iPhone, sign in on both, approve both devices in the admin page, add the iPhone's machine name to the SillyTavern whitelist, and open http:// followed by the PC's machine name and :8000 from anywhere.
Cloudflare Zero Trust or a router VPN: also in the guide; more setup, same result.
A rented server: some people run SillyTavern on a small VPS for about $4 to $5 a month and reach it from any device. It needs the password mode and HTTPS, and someone comfortable administering a Linux box. (User reports)

Route 3: SillyTavern running on the iPhone itself

An unofficial fork ports the whole Node.js backend to run on the device, with no server anywhere. Know what it involves before you start.

What it is: a community fork under the AGPL, kept in sync with upstream, storing characters and chats in the Files app. iOS 15 or later.
How you install it: it is not on the App Store. You need a Mac with Xcode, clone the repository, build it, and sideload it to your phone. With a free Apple ID the app must be re-signed every seven days; a paid developer account removes that.
What it costs you: Apple forbids JIT compilation, so the first launch takes one to three minutes and everything runs slower than on a desktop. No local models, captioning, or speech features.
How alive it is: releases in March 2026, last commit in May 2026, a handful of stars. One person's project.

If what you want is your cards and your key on your phone

All three routes keep SillyTavern itself, and if you use its extensions, group chats, and presets, that is the right call. If what you actually need is your characters, your API key, and your iPhone, that is why we built LonelyTavern: a native iPhone and Android app that imports V3 character cards, world-info lorebooks, and Tavern-format chat histories, works with any OpenAI-compatible provider under your own key, and keeps everything on the device. Free, no account, no ads, no PC left running. It is not full SillyTavern (no extensions or group chats), but for the core loop it is install-and-go.

Sources

SillyTavern FAQ: "Can I use SillyTavern on my phone or tablet?"
Remote connections: listen, whitelist, basic auth, the port-forwarding warning
VPNs and tunneling: the Tailscale walkthrough and the other options
SillyTavern for iOS, the unofficial port: requirements, sideloading, and limits from its README
r/SillyTavernAI, January 2026 and January 2024: how people run it on iPhone, the Home Screen trick, VPS costs

SillyTavern, Tailscale, and the iOS port are independent projects of their respective authors. LonelyTavern is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. Steps follow the official SillyTavern documentation at docs.sillytavern.app as read on September 16, 2026; check there for current instructions.