Hello everyone,
I’m trying to use n8n’s Hosted Chat feature and expose it to the public internet via ngrok so external users can interact with a workflow through a URL.
My setup is as follows:
n8n is running locally in a Docker environment.
I’m using the ngrok command line tool with ngrok http 5678 to create a tunnel, exposing my local port 5678 to the public internet.
The Webhook URL for the n8n Hosted Chat looks something like https://3a5e-112-xx-xx-225.ngrok-free.app/webhook/6d228549-61a9-XXXX-xxxx-c73a1b7646f2/chat.
The issue I’m facing:
On desktop browsers (like Chrome, Firefox), accessing the https://3a5e-112-xx-xx-225.ngrok-free.app/webhook/6d228549-61a9-XXXX-xxxx-c73a1b7646f2/chat. URL loads the page correctly. After typing and sending a chat message, the n8n workflow is triggered successfully, and I receive a response. Everything works as expected.
On mobile browsers (tested on multiple phones, various browsers, and different network environments), accessing the same https://3a5e-112-xx-xx-225.ngrok-free.app/webhook/6d228549-61a9-XXXX-xxxx-c73a1b7646f2/chat. URL also loads the page correctly and displays the initial message. However, when I type and send a chat message, the workflow is not triggered, and I receive no response.
Troubleshooting steps I’ve taken and the results:
Checked the ngrok terminal logs: When sending a message from my mobile, the ngrok terminal window did not show any new HTTP request logs (e.g., POST requests or WebSocket activity). This indicates that the message-sending request from the mobile did not even successfully reach my local ngrok client.
Checked n8n workflow “Executions”: Consistent with the ngrok logs, after sending a message from mobile, the “Executions” tab for this workflow in the n8n interface did not show any new execution records. This further confirms that the request failed to trigger the workflow.
Changed mobile network environment: I tried testing while connected to different Wi-Fi networks and using cellular data (with Wi-Fi off), and the issue persisted.
Changed mobile browser: I tested on different browsers on my mobile (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.), and the result was the same - unable to send messages.
Confirmed page load: The Hosted Chat page loads correctly on mobile browsers (ngrok terminal showed the corresponding GET request), suggesting the issue is specifically with the message-sending action.
My suspicion:
Based on the troubleshooting, I suspect the issue might be a compatibility problem with n8n’s built-in Hosted Chat interface on certain mobile browsers or environments, specifically with the technology used for sending messages (likely a POST request or a WebSocket connection). This might prevent the request from being successfully sent or cause it to be blocked by the network environment (even though initial page loading works).
Seeking help:
Has anyone else experienced a similar situation? Are there any potential solutions, workarounds, or further troubleshooting steps I could take?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!