Cross-Network Wallet Connection Issues Between Desktop and Mobile

[mshakeg]

Description

When attempting to connect my iOS wallet to a dApp opened in Chrome on my mac, there appears to be a responsiveness issue when the devices are on different WiFi networks. The wallet connection flow does not display properly on the Radix Wallet app, presumably because the app is unreachable.

However, when both devices (Mac and iPhone) are connected to the same WiFi network, the connection flow works as expected.

Expected Behavior

• The wallet connection should work seamlessly regardless of which networks the desktop browser and mobile wallet are connected to

Current Behavior

• Connection flow works properly when both devices are on the same WiFi network
• When devices are on different WiFi networks:
  • The connection flow doesn't display properly on the Radix Wallet
  • The wallet appears unreachable

Context

In the EVM context, WalletConnect in my understanding solves this through relay servers that facilitate connections between devices on different networks. This might be worth considering as a reference for improving cross-network connectivity.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Connect desktop to WiFi network A
2. Connect iPhone to WiFi network B
3. Visit a Radix dApp on the desktop browser(Chrome)
4. Attempt to connect wallet
5. Observe that the connection flow doesn't display properly on the Radix Wallet

Alternative Solution (Short Term)

Consider adding a network connectivity warning to the Radix Connect button/widget when connection attempts fail. This could:

1. Show a user-friendly message like "Unable to detect mobile wallet. Make sure your phone and computer are connected to the same WiFi network"
2. Display after a brief timeout if no wallet response is received

This would:

• Improve user experience by providing immediate feedback
• Reduce user confusion about why the connection isn't working
• Save users time by suggesting the most common fix
• Bridge the gap until a more robust cross-network solution can be implemented

[mshakeg]

Would also recommend setting up issue moderation to restrict comments to collaborators, contributors, or people with prior activity on the repository.

Or set up a moderator bot for scammers like @quinnorson00967821

[dawidsowardx]

Thank you for reporting this issue @mshakeg. If you are able to consistently reproduce the problem, please send your Connector Extension logs to hello@radixdlt.com and include the description you provided above.