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Self-Signed SSL Certificate Setup for Android

By default, the AliasVault Android app only supports connecting to servers with a valid SSL certificate from a trusted external authority. If you want to use your own self-signed certificate, you must manually install and trust the certificate on your Android device by following these steps.

Server Setup​

Standard Installation​

Configure your hostname and restart AliasVault:

./install.sh configure-hostname
./install.sh restart

All-in-One Docker​

Update your docker-compose.yml:

environment:
  HOSTNAME: "192.168.3.2"  # Your server IP/hostname

Then restart: docker compose down && docker compose up -d

Step 1: Get the Certificate​

Option A: From Browser​

  1. Open Chrome, go to your AliasVault instance (e.g., https://192.168.3.2)
  2. Click the padlock icon → inspect certificate
  3. Export the certificate and send it to your phone

Option B: From Server​

Copy from your AliasVault installation directory:

cp [aliasvault-install-dir]/certificates/ssl/cert.pem ~/aliasvault.crt

Transfer to your Android device.

Step 2: Install Certificate (Android 10+)​

  1. Open Settings → search for "Certificate"
  2. Tap "Install a certificate" → "CA certificate"
  3. Browse to Downloads → select your certificate file
  4. Enter your PIN/password when prompted
  5. Name it "AliasVault" and tap OK

Step 3: Configure AliasVault App​

  1. Open the AliasVault app
  2. Go to Settings → Server Configuration
  3. Enter your server URL: https://192.168.3.2/api (use your configured hostname)
  4. Test connection - should work without SSL errors

Troubleshooting​

Certificate not trusted: Verify it's installed under Settings → Security → Trusted credentials → User tab

App can't connect: Ensure the hostname in the app matches your server configuration exactly

Installation fails: Make sure you have a screen lock set up on your device