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The private way to test a Herd-hosted Laravel API on a real phone is to proxy it through Tailscale Serve. Then open the resulting https://<device>.<tailnet>.ts.net address on a phone that is signed in to the same tailnet. Use Tailscale Funnel only if the phone or tester cannot join the tailnet. Funnel gives the API a public URL, and that changes the risk considerably.
One caveat matters up front. Tailscale’s documentation covers proxying a local port. It does not document a universal Herd listener or a Herd virtual-host recipe. You have to confirm the port and hostname on your own machine instead of copying a number from an example.
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Serve or Funnel: which one fits
| Decision axis | Tailscale Serve | Tailscale Funnel |
|---|---|---|
| Who can reach the API | Devices with access to the tailnet, subject to access controls | Anyone who has the public Funnel URL |
| Best fit | Private testing from an enrolled phone | A phone or external service that cannot join the tailnet, when public exposure is acceptable |
| Requirements | HTTPS certificates enabled for the tailnet; access rules still apply | MagicDNS, HTTPS certificates, and the Funnel node attribute in policy; only ports 443, 8443 and 10000 |
| Caution | If your backend trusts Tailscale identity headers for authentication, keep it listening locally to reduce spoofing paths | Never expose sensitive or non-public services; stop it after the test |
Details are in Tailscale’s pages on Serve and Funnel (both validated Jan 20, 2026).
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1. Prove the API works locally
Start the Herd site and call the API from the computer using its intended .test hostname. Herd and Valet-style setups use .test naming, but the exact host, port and routing can differ between machines. Note which hostname and port actually answer, because that is what Tailscale must reach.
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2. Get the phone onto the tailnet
Install the Tailscale app on the phone and sign in to the same tailnet. Check that your access rules let the phone reach the development machine. Enrollment steps differ by platform, so follow Tailscale’s current iOS or Android instructions.
3. Proxy the correct local target with Serve
Tailscale’s generic example is tailscale serve 3000, which proxies a service listening on port 3000. Do not copy 3000 unless that is truly where your API answers. The Serve and Funnel CLI changed in client version 1.52, so run tailscale serve --help and check the current CLI docs before relying on older tutorials. The Serve documentation also notes that Serve needs HTTPS certificates enabled for the tailnet.
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4. Open the printed URL on the phone
Serve prints an address of the form https://<device>.<tailnet>.ts.net. Load an API route from the phone’s browser first. Then test with the real client app. The sources do not cover application-level details, so verify these yourself:
- the exact route and any host-based routing Herd applies
- authentication behavior
- CORS policy for your client
- absolute URLs the app generates, such as
APP_URL-based links that may still point at the.testhost
5. Use Funnel only when the phone cannot join
Funnel needs MagicDNS, HTTPS, an enabled Funnel node attribute, Tailscale v1.38.3 or later, and one of ports 443, 8443 or 10000. Tailscale’s local development guide (validated May 18, 2026) shows ending a configured Funnel with tailscale funnel --terminate-on <port> or resetting Funnel configuration. Tailscale’s warning is direct: do not use Funnel to expose services that contain sensitive data or that are not intended for public access. Use throwaway development data and shut it down when the test ends.
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Troubleshooting
- Wrong site or Herd’s default page appears: the proxy is reaching Herd, but the request is not carrying the host Herd expects. Re-check the local hostname and the service you proxied. The sources give no universal Herd host-header command.
- Serve will not start: check that HTTPS certificates are enabled for the tailnet and that access controls permit it.
- Funnel will not start: check MagicDNS, HTTPS certificates, the policy’s Funnel attribute, your role’s permissions, CLI version and the port. Public DNS can take time to update.
- Behavior changes on the same port: Serve and Funnel cannot share a port at once. Whichever was configured most recently decides whether it is private or public.
- URL loads but API calls fail: look at routes, authentication, CORS and generated absolute URLs in the app. These are general diagnostics, not claims from Tailscale’s pages.
A public-tunnel alternative: Expose
Laravel Herd advertises native Expose integration for public local URLs, webhooks and mobile-site testing. Expose’s documentation describes sharing Herd-style .test sites from a working directory, and sharing an explicit local URL when automatic mapping does not fit. Its exposure model is public, like Funnel, not private like Serve.
The Bottom Line
Default to Serve for a phone you control. First confirm which local port and hostname actually serve your Herd API. Reach for Funnel or Expose only when a tester can’t join the tailnet, and only with non-sensitive data.
Quick Recap
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