Summary
The Android app can show authentication needed during gateway setup/reconnect, but that message does not tell the user which recovery path applies: fresh QR scan, pending node approval, stale stored credential, or app storage reset.
What happened
During Android gateway setup/reconnection, the app reached the gateway but displayed an authentication-needed state. From the gateway side, different underlying states were observed during the same troubleshooting session:
- expired/stale bootstrap token
- node approval/reapproval pending
- app credential missing or stale
- Android camera permission denied, preventing QR scan
The app did not make those states distinguishable to the user.
Expected behavior
The setup/authentication screen should show the specific cause and next action, such as:
Setup code expired. Scan a fresh setup QR.Gateway approval pending. On the gateway, run: openclaw nodes approve <id>Saved authentication is invalid. Re-authenticate or reset this gateway connection.Camera permission is required to scan setup codes.
If the app can see a gateway-provided pending approval ID or reason code, it should render that directly.
Actual behavior
The app exposed a generic authentication-needed state. The user had to rely on gateway CLI probing to determine whether the problem was QR/bootstrap expiry, node approval, stale app credential, or local Android permission state.
Why this matters
All of these failures look similar to a user but require different fixes. A generic authentication-needed state makes normal recovery difficult and leads users to try unrelated actions.
Environment
- OpenClaw gateway:
2026.6.10
- Android app/node: Samsung Galaxy S25
- Gateway bind:
lan, setup URL advertised as ws://192.168.0.180:18789
Related
Adjacent to #98038, but this report is for the Android app's user-facing recovery messaging rather than iOS token persistence.
Summary
The Android app can show
authentication neededduring gateway setup/reconnect, but that message does not tell the user which recovery path applies: fresh QR scan, pending node approval, stale stored credential, or app storage reset.What happened
During Android gateway setup/reconnection, the app reached the gateway but displayed an authentication-needed state. From the gateway side, different underlying states were observed during the same troubleshooting session:
The app did not make those states distinguishable to the user.
Expected behavior
The setup/authentication screen should show the specific cause and next action, such as:
Setup code expired. Scan a fresh setup QR.Gateway approval pending. On the gateway, run: openclaw nodes approve <id>Saved authentication is invalid. Re-authenticate or reset this gateway connection.Camera permission is required to scan setup codes.If the app can see a gateway-provided pending approval ID or reason code, it should render that directly.
Actual behavior
The app exposed a generic authentication-needed state. The user had to rely on gateway CLI probing to determine whether the problem was QR/bootstrap expiry, node approval, stale app credential, or local Android permission state.
Why this matters
All of these failures look similar to a user but require different fixes. A generic authentication-needed state makes normal recovery difficult and leads users to try unrelated actions.
Environment
2026.6.10lan, setup URL advertised asws://192.168.0.180:18789Related
Adjacent to #98038, but this report is for the Android app's user-facing recovery messaging rather than iOS token persistence.