memos/ios

Memos iOS App

This directory contains the iOS app for Memos, allowing you to run your personal Memos instance directly on your iPhone or iPad.

Features

• ✅ Full Memos Backend: Runs the complete Go backend server locally on your device
• ✅ Native iOS App: SwiftUI-based native app with WKWebView for the web UI
• ✅ Network Access: Optional network access to allow other devices to connect
• ✅ Offline First: All data stored locally on your device using SQLite
• ✅ No Cloud Required: Completely self-hosted on your iOS device

Architecture

The iOS app uses gomobile to compile the Go backend as an iOS framework that runs natively on iOS:

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│         iOS App (SwiftUI)           │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │   WKWebView (React UI)       │   │
│  └──────────────────────────────┘   │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │   ServerManager (Swift)      │   │
│  └──────────────────────────────┘   │
│               ↓                     │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  Mobile Framework (Go/gomobile)│ │
│  │  - HTTP/gRPC Server          │   │
│  │  - SQLite Database           │   │
│  │  - All Backend Logic         │   │
│  └──────────────────────────────┘   │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Prerequisites

• macOS with Xcode 15 or later
• Go 1.21 or later
• gomobile (will be installed automatically by build script)

Building

1. Build the Go Framework

From the project root:

chmod +x scripts/build-ios.sh
./scripts/build-ios.sh

This will:

• Install gomobile if not present
• Compile the Go backend to an iOS framework (Mobile.xcframework)
• Place the framework in ios/Frameworks/

The first build may take 5-10 minutes as it compiles the entire Go backend for iOS.

2. Open in Xcode

open ios/Memos.xcodeproj

3. Configure Code Signing

1. Select the "Memos" project in the navigator
2. Select the "Memos" target
3. Go to "Signing & Capabilities"
4. Select your development team
5. Xcode will automatically manage provisioning

4. Build and Run

• Select your iOS device or simulator from the scheme dropdown
• Press Cmd+R to build and run

Usage

First Launch

1. Launch the app on your device
2. The server will start automatically (may take a few seconds)
3. The web UI will load in the app
4. Complete the initial setup (create admin account)

Network Access

To allow other devices on your network to access your Memos instance:

1. Tap the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right
2. Toggle "Allow Network Access" ON
3. The server will restart and bind to 0.0.0.0
4. Your network address will be displayed (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:5230)
5. Other devices can now access Memos at this address

Security Note: When network access is enabled, anyone on your local network can access your Memos instance. Ensure you're on a trusted network and set a strong password.

Data Storage

All data is stored in your iOS app's Documents directory:

Documents/
  └── memos-data/
      ├── memos_prod.db    # SQLite database
      └── assets/          # Uploaded files

This data persists between app launches and is backed up to iCloud (if enabled).

Configuration

The iOS app uses the following default settings:

• Port: 5230 (same as default Memos)
• Database: SQLite (stored in app Documents)
• Mode: Production
• Bind Address:
  • "" (localhost only) - default
  • "0.0.0.0" (all interfaces) - when network access enabled

Troubleshooting

Build Errors

"gomobile: command not found"

go install golang.org/x/mobile/cmd/gomobile@latest
gomobile init

Framework not found in Xcode

Make sure you've run ./scripts/build-ios.sh first to build the Go framework.

Code signing errors

Ensure you've selected a valid development team in Xcode project settings.

Runtime Issues

Server fails to start

Check the Xcode console for error messages. Common issues:

• Data directory permissions
• Port already in use (unlikely on iOS)
• Database migration errors

Can't access from other devices

1. Ensure "Allow Network Access" is enabled
2. Check that devices are on the same network
3. Try disabling VPN on either device
4. Check firewall settings (on the client device)

WebView shows blank page

• Wait a few seconds for the server to fully start
• Check Xcode console for server startup messages
• Try force-quitting and restarting the app

Development

Rebuilding the Framework

After making changes to the Go backend:

./scripts/build-ios.sh

Then rebuild the iOS app in Xcode (Cmd+B).

Debugging

Go logs are printed to the Xcode console. You can view them in Xcode's debug console when running the app.

To enable more verbose logging, change the mode to "dev" in ServerManager.swift:

let url = MobileNewServer(dataDir, port, addr, "dev", &serverError)

Project Structure

ios/
├── Memos/                      # iOS app source
│   ├── MemosApp.swift         # App entry point
│   ├── ContentView.swift      # Main UI with WebView
│   ├── ServerManager.swift    # Go server interface
│   ├── Assets.xcassets/       # App icons and assets
│   └── Info.plist            # App configuration
├── Memos.xcodeproj/          # Xcode project
├── Frameworks/               # Generated frameworks (gitignored)
│   └── Mobile.xcframework   # Go backend framework
└── README.md                 # This file

Limitations

• Background Execution: iOS suspends apps in the background. The server stops when the app is backgrounded.
• Network Access: Requires devices to be on the same local network
• Performance: May be slower than desktop due to mobile hardware constraints
• Database Size: Limited by available iOS storage

Future Enhancements

Possible improvements for the iOS app:

• Background server execution (using background modes)
• Local network service discovery (Bonjour)
• Share extension for quick memo capture
• Siri shortcuts integration
• Widget support
• Watch app companion
• iCloud sync between devices
• Export/import database

License

Same as the main Memos project (MIT License).