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When a backend exposes itself on the network — over LAN or Tailscale HTTPS — you can connect to it directly by its WebSocket URL, with no SSH tunnel. This is the simplest path on a trusted network or a tailnet.
A direct connection rides an exposed network port, so it’s always token-gated. On an untrusted network, prefer an SSH tunnel instead.

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From Another Mains Desktop App

Open Settings → Relay → Add and choose Direct URL.
1

Name the backend

A label for your client list.
2

Paste the WebSocket URL

Copy it from the host’s This machine panel:
ExposureURL shape
LAN / loopbackws://<host>:8787
Tailscale HTTPSwss://<machine>.<tailnet>.ts.net
3

Enter the pairing token

The token shown in the host’s panel (or printed by npm run serve). Required whenever the backend was started with one.
4

Add, then Connect

The status dot turns connected and the UI drives the remote backend.

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From A Phone Or Browser

Every exposed address has a browser link that loads the full Mains UI in a web browser, with the token already embedded: 
http://<host>:8787/?token=<token>          # LAN
https://<machine>.<tailnet>.ts.net/?token=<token>   # Tailscale HTTPS
Open it on a phone, tablet, or any browser. In the web client you’re already connected to the backend that served the page — adding or switching backends stays a desktop-app feature.
The browser UI must be built once on the host with npm run build:web. Until then the panel shows a “Web UI not built” notice and only the ws:// / wss:// endpoint (for another Mains desktop client) is available.

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Managing Backends

Saved backends live under Settings → Relay, alongside Local (this machine):
ActionEffect
ConnectPoint the whole UI at this backend (one active at a time)
Disconnect / Use localReturn to the local in-process backend
RenameChange the label
RemoveForget the saved backend
Switching is instant and non-destructive — your local data is untouched while a remote backend is active.