mirror of
https://github.com/meshtastic/Meshtastic-Android.git
synced 2026-09-17 15:52:19 -04:00
109 lines
6.4 KiB
HTML
109 lines
6.4 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
|
|
<html lang="en" dir="ltr">
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta charset="UTF-8">
|
|
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
|
|
<title>Getting Started</title>
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../styles/docs.css">
|
|
</head>
|
|
<body data-page="onboarding" data-locale="en">
|
|
<pre class="markdown-content"># Getting Started
|
|
|
|
Welcome to Meshtastic! This guide walks you through the initial setup of the Meshtastic Android app.
|
|
|
|
## First Launch
|
|
|
|
When you open the app for the first time, you'll be guided through an introductory flow that helps configure essential permissions and settings. Each step can be completed in order, or skipped — nothing here is a one-time offer. Every permission can be reviewed and granted later from **Settings → Permissions** inside the app.
|
|
|
|
### Welcome Screen
|
|
|
|
The welcome screen introduces Meshtastic and its core capabilities:
|
|
- Off-grid mesh communication
|
|
- No cellular or internet required
|
|
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
|
|
|
|
Tap **Get Started** to proceed through the setup flow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Permissions
|
|
|
|
The app requests several permissions during setup. Each one serves a specific purpose, and some are required for core functionality.
|
|
|
|
### Bluetooth Permission
|
|
|
|
Bluetooth is the primary connection method between your phone and Meshtastic radio:
|
|
- **Bluetooth scanning** — discover nearby Meshtastic radios
|
|
- **Bluetooth connect** — establish and maintain connections with paired radios
|
|
|
|
Grant both permissions when prompted. Without Bluetooth, you'll need to use USB or TCP connections instead.
|
|
|
|
### Location Permission
|
|
|
|
> ⚠️ **Is location required for Bluetooth?** On **Android 11 and older**, yes — those releases treat a Bluetooth scan as a location capability, so the app asks for Location instead of "Nearby devices", and system **Location Services** must also be switched on for a scan to return anything. There you will see **one** location step rather than two, on the Bluetooth screen, because it is a single system permission — and asking twice for it would push you toward the point where Android stops offering the dialog at all (a second denial on Android 11; the "Don't ask again" checkbox on Android 10 and older). On **Android 12 and newer** the two are separate: "Nearby devices" is declared `neverForLocation`, and declining Location does not stop you finding or connecting to a radio.
|
|
|
|
Meshtastic also uses your location for:
|
|
- Showing your position on the mesh map
|
|
- Calculating distances to other nodes
|
|
- Sharing your GPS coordinates with other mesh members (if enabled)
|
|
|
|
Grant **"While using the app"** or **"Always"** depending on your preference:
|
|
- **While using the app** — position updates only when the app is open
|
|
- **Always** — enables background position updates for always-on mesh presence
|
|
|
|
Declining leaves the rest of the app working: on Android 12 and newer, Bluetooth is unaffected and only the map position and position sharing are disabled. On Android 11 and older, Bluetooth scanning also stops, because that is the permission Android gates it behind.
|
|
|
|
### Notifications Permission
|
|
|
|
Notifications alert you to:
|
|
- Incoming messages from channels and direct messages
|
|
- New nodes joining the mesh
|
|
- Low battery on a remote node
|
|
|
|
> 💡 **Tip:** You can fine-tune notification preferences later in Android system settings — the app creates a separate notification channel per category (plus a few internal ones, like the background service), so you can enable or silence them individually.
|
|
|
|
### Critical Alerts Permission
|
|
|
|
On supported devices, the app may request permission for critical alerts:
|
|
- These are high-priority notifications that can break through Do Not Disturb mode
|
|
- Useful for emergency mesh alerts or urgent messages
|
|
- You can **skip** this step if you don't need breakthrough notifications
|
|
- Configure or revoke later in Android notification settings
|
|
|
|
### Reviewing permissions later
|
|
|
|
**Settings → Permissions** summarizes where every runtime permission stands. It reads *All allowed* when nothing needs you, and names the count when something does — opening itself automatically in that case. Tap the row to see the full list at any time:
|
|
|
|
State | What tapping the row does |
|
|
---|---|
|
|
**Allowed** | Opens the system page, so you can review or revoke it |
|
|
**Not asked yet** | Requests it |
|
|
**Denied — tap to allow** | Explains what the permission is for, then asks again if you agree |
|
|
**Blocked — tap to open system settings** | Android will no longer show its dialog, so this opens the page where you can turn it back on |
|
|
**Not required on this version of Android** | Nothing — the permission does not exist on your device |
|
|
|
|
This matters most for notifications. The app used to ask for them in exactly one place — the setup flow — so declining there meant no message, new-node, or low-battery alerts, with nothing in the app that could ask again. Android itself stops showing the dialog once you have declined firmly (a second denial on Android 11 and newer), at which point this row switches to **Blocked** and sends you to the system settings page instead.
|
|
|
|
## After Setup
|
|
|
|
Once permissions are granted, the app transitions to the main interface. Your first action should be connecting to a Meshtastic radio — see [Connections](connections) for detailed instructions.
|
|
|
|
> 💡 **Tip:** If you skipped any permissions during setup, open **Settings → Permissions** in the app. Every runtime permission is listed there with its current state and a way back to it — including notifications, which the system will not prompt for a second time on its own.
|
|
|
|
Features also ask in context. Tapping **Scan** on the Connections screen with Bluetooth permission missing explains what it is for and offers to request it; once Android stops prompting, the same control opens the system settings page instead of doing nothing.
|
|
|
|
## What's Next?
|
|
|
|
Once connected to a radio, explore:
|
|
- [Connections](connections) — pair your first radio device
|
|
- [Messages & Channels](messages-and-channels) — send your first message
|
|
- [Nodes](nodes) — see who's on your mesh
|
|
- [Map & Waypoints](map-and-waypoints) — view node positions
|
|
- [Settings](settings-radio-user) — configure your radio and user profile
|
|
|
|
New to Meshtastic? The [getting started guide](https://meshtastic.org/docs/getting-started) on meshtastic.org covers hardware selection, initial radio configuration, and your first mesh setup.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
</pre>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html> |