Vick's

Person A:
Hey! I heard you turned your Android into a real server that you can access from anywhere using Termux and Tailscale. 😮 How did you even do that?

Person B:
Haha, yes! It’s easier than you think. Let me explain everything step-by-step, like we’re just chatting. 😄

First, all I needed was:

• My Android phone 📱

• The Termux app installed (from F-Droid or PlayStore)

• A little knowledge of Linux basics

• And Tailscale, the magic tool!

1. Installing Basic Server Stuff on Termux

Person A:
Okay, first question: how do you even start?

Person B:
Simple! I opened Termux and updated the system like this:

pkg update
pkg upgrade

Then I installed an SSH server (so I can remotely connect):

pkg install openssh

SSH server allows me to securely login into my Android from another device!

And since I needed to set a password (because SSH requires it), I ran:

passwd

✅ This sets the Termux user's password.

2. Starting SSH Server

Person A:
Alright. But how do you "start" the server?

Person B:
Super easy:

sshd

Boom! Now my Termux SSH server is running.
But there’s a catch: because of Android’s restrictions, Termux’s SSH server runs on port 8022, not the usual port 22.

3. Finding My Phone's Local IP Address

Person A:
Cool, but how do you find your phone's IP?

Person B:
I typed this inside Termux:

ip addr show wlan0

✅ It showed something like 192.168.1.105.
That’s my local IP address on the Wi-Fi network.

Now if my laptop is on the same Wi-Fi, I can connect like this:

ssh -p 8022 username@192.168.1.105

4. Making My Server Reachable Globally (Enter: Tailscale)

Person A:
Wait wait! This works only in the same Wi-Fi. What about when you're outside, like mobile network?

Person B:
Exactly — and that’s where Tailscale comes in! 🚀

Inside Termux, I installed Tailscale:

pkg install tailscale

Then I logged into Tailscale:

tailscale up

When I ran this, it gave me a link to open in my mobile browser where I logged into my Tailscale account.

After login, my Termux got a private VPN IP like 100.101.102.103.

I checked it by running:

tailscale ip

5. Connecting to My Termux Server from Anywhere!

Person A:
Awesome! So now you can SSH into your phone even if you're not home?

Person B:
Exactly! 😎

From my laptop, no matter where I am, I can connect:

ssh -p 8022 username@100.101.102.103

✅ And boom — my Android is a mini server on the internet!

6. How File Transfer Works (SCP Upload/Download)

Person A:
Okay, but how do you transfer files?

Person B:
Through SCP — it’s like cp command (copy) but over SSH.

From laptop to phone (upload):

scp -P 8022 myphoto.jpg username@100.101.102.103:/data/data/com.termux/files/home/

From phone to laptop (download):

scp -P 8022 username@100.101.102.103:/data/data/com.termux/files/home/mydoc.pdf ~/Downloads/

✅ Just remember:

• Always use -P 8022 (capital P, because Termux's sshd is on 8022 port).

• The path inside Termux is /data/data/com.termux/files/home/ for your home folder.

7. Does Tailscale Affect Other Apps? VPN? Internet?

Person A:
One doubt: when you use Tailscale inside Termux, does it turn on VPN on the whole phone? Like does it affect Instagram, YouTube, etc.?

Person B:
Very smart question! 🤓

• If you install Tailscale Android App from Play Store, it sets up full device VPN, affecting all apps.

• BUT, if you only install Tailscale inside Termux CLI (pkg install tailscale),
  ✅ ONLY Termux joins Tailscale network. ✅ Your other Android apps (YouTube, Chrome, etc.) use normal internet — no VPN interference!

So I only installed it inside Termux. No VPN icon on the phone, no problem for my apps.

8. Quick Summary Table

🌟 Conclusion:

"You don't need a big server! You already have one inside your pocket.
Just open Termux, install OpenSSH and Tailscale, and boom — you have a private cloud server, accessible from anywhere securely! 🚀"