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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo open a web app running in WSL2 from a phone, use the Windows PC’s local network IP address and the app’s port—not localhost. A phone’s localhost points back to the phone itself. For WSL2, choose either mirrored networking on supported Windows 11 systems or a Windows port-forward in the default NAT mode; in both cases, the app and firewall must allow the connection.
Choose a connection method
WSL2 uses NAT by default, and an app running inside it is not directly reachable from other devices on the LAN by default. You can forward a Windows port to the WSL virtual machine, or use mirrored networking for direct LAN access. Microsoft documents mirrored networking for Windows 11 version 22H2 and later.
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| Method | Requirements | Address to open on the phone | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirrored networking | Windows 11 22H2 or later, WSL support, and an inbound Hyper-V firewall rule for the app’s port | Windows PC’s LAN IP and the app’s port | Direct LAN access without a NAT port-forward; availability and networking exceptions apply. |
| NAT with portproxy | Default WSL2 NAT, current WSL VM IP, Windows portproxy listener, and firewall allowance | Windows PC’s LAN IP and the forwarded host port | Keeps NAT, but the forwarding target may need updating if WSL’s IP changes. |
For setup details and compatibility notes, see Microsoft’s WSL networking guide. If your Windows version supports mirrored mode and you prefer fewer forwarding steps, start there. Keep NAT and use portproxy if mirrored mode is unavailable or you intentionally retain NAT.
Before configuring networking
Find the Windows PC’s LAN address
On Windows, find the PC’s IPv4 address on the same network as the phone, for example in Windows Settings under Network & internet, or by running ipconfig in a terminal and checking the active adapter’s IPv4 address. Use that address in the phone’s browser, followed by the port, such as http://192.168.1.20:4000. The example IP is illustrative; use the address assigned to your PC.
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Make the app listen beyond loopback
A service bound only to 127.0.0.1 may accept connections only through its own loopback interface. For LAN access, configure the development server to listen on a reachable interface; Microsoft’s networking guide uses 0.0.0.0 as an example. The exact setting depends on your framework. For Flask, for example, Microsoft shows app.run(host='0.0.0.0').
Binding to 0.0.0.0 is an exposure decision: it can make the service accept connections from the LAN. Do not assume a development server has authentication or production-grade security.
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Option 1: Use mirrored networking
Mirrored networking is documented for Windows 11 version 22H2 and later. It gives WSL direct LAN access and changes how Windows and WSL networking interact. Microsoft describes the mode and its limits in the networking guide.
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%UserProfile%.wslconfig, or configure the networking mode in WSL Settings:[wsl2] networkingMode=mirrored - Apply the global configuration. If you changed
.wslconfig, runwsl --shutdownfrom PowerShell or Command Prompt, then start your distribution again. See Microsoft’s WSL configuration guide for global settings. - Allow the app’s TCP port through the Hyper-V firewall. In an administrator PowerShell window, create a rule for the port your app uses, replacing
4000if necessary:New-NetFirewallHyperVRule -Name "MyWebApp" -DisplayName "My Web App" -Direction Inbound -VMCreatorId '{40E0AC32-46A5-438A-A0B2-2B479E8F2E90}' -Protocol TCP -LocalPorts 4000 - Open the app from the phone. Confirm the app is running and listening on its configured port, then visit
http://<Windows-PC-LAN-IP>:4000. Use HTTPS only if the app is configured for TLS.
Mirrored-mode localhost behavior is distinct from LAN access: Microsoft documents IPv4 loopback 127.0.0.1 for Windows-to-WSL localhost connections in this mode; IPv6 loopback ::1 is not supported for that connection. Mirrored networking also has documented protocol and port exceptions. If the app is containerized, Microsoft’s WSL troubleshooting guide notes a Docker Desktop published-port issue under mirrored networking in the default namespace.
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Option 2: Keep NAT and forward a port
With NAT, Windows can listen on a host port and forward traffic to the WSL VM’s current IP. Run the following in an elevated PowerShell prompt, changing 4000 if your app uses a different port:
$wslIp = (wsl.exe hostname -I).Trim().Split(' ')[0]
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=4000 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 connectport=4000 connectaddress=$wslIpThe uppercase -I in wsl.exe hostname -I returns the WSL address to use as the forwarding target; do not substitute lowercase -i. The equivalent portproxy template is:
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netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=<host-port> listenaddress=0.0.0.0 connectport=<wsl-port> connectaddress=<WSL-VM-IP>listenaddress=0.0.0.0 makes the Windows listener accept requests on all IPv4 addresses, not only the LAN interface. Microsoft notes that this includes incoming requests from any IP address. Use an appropriately scoped Windows Firewall rule and only enable this listener on a network you trust.
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Make sure the app is listening on the WSL port you specify, then open http://<Windows-PC-LAN-IP>:<host-port> from the phone. If the WSL virtual network address changes, update the forwarding target. Avoid adding router port forwarding when the intended access is limited to devices on the local network.
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Check the connection if the page will not load
- Confirm the URL. Use the Windows PC’s LAN IP, not
localhostor the WSL IP, from the separate mobile device. Include the host port in NAT mode. - Check the app’s bind address and port. The app must be running and listening on a reachable interface at the port you opened.
- Check both firewall layers where applicable. Windows Firewall may block the host listener; mirrored mode also uses the Hyper-V firewall for inbound traffic to WSL. Permit only the required TCP port.
- Verify the selected networking mode and forwarding target. NAT portproxy must target the current WSL IP. Mirrored mode requires a supported Windows build and the setting to have been applied.
- Check the local network. Confirm the phone and PC are on the same network and that its policy allows devices to communicate. Guest Wi-Fi and some office networks isolate clients.
- Account for containers and special traffic. Mirrored networking has documented exceptions, and Docker Desktop published ports in the default namespace have a noted issue; consult Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance if either applies.
Keep the development server limited to your LAN
A LAN-reachable service is not automatically exposed to the public internet, but router settings and network policy can change that boundary. Keep the listener limited to the needed port, avoid broad inbound firewall allowances, stop the server or remove the forwarding when finished, and do not configure router port forwarding for a phone-only LAN use case. Microsoft’s WSL networking guidance cautions that allowing remote connections also allows connections from the LAN.
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