Editing Openai/6932a1cc-20c0-8013-a794-87aa954d6477 (section)

=== Assistant: Short version: Docker on Android is a pain, but you can still run changedetection.io on Android without Docker. ===
Short version: Docker on Android is a pain, but you can still run changedetection.io on Android without Docker.

Here are the best options, top to bottom.

==== 1) Run changedetection.io directly in Termux (no Docker) ====

This is probably the closest to what you want: fully local, on your phone.

There’s an official pip package, and the basic run command is:
changedetection.io -d <data_dir> -p 5000 PyPI<ref>{{cite web|title=PyPI|url=https://pypi.org/project/changedetection.io/|publisher=pypi.org|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>

There’s even evidence of people running it on Termux in the wild. GitHub<ref>{{cite web|title=GitHub|url=https://github.com/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io/issues/2936|publisher=github.com|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>

===== What you’ll likely do =====
# Install Termux (preferably from F-Droid).
# In Termux:

<syntaxhighlight lang="sh">pkg update && pkg upgrade
pkg install python clang rust libffi openssl
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install changedetection.io
mkdir -p ~/changedetection-data
changedetection.io -d ~/changedetection-data -p 5000

</syntaxhighlight>
# Open in your phone browser:
* http://127.0.0.1:5000

===== Caveats =====
* Android may kill background processes to save battery.
* Advanced JS rendering/visual selector may be harder on-device.

==== 2) Hybrid: Run the app on Android, but use a remote browser driver for JS pages ====

changedetection.io supports pointing to a remote Playwright/Chrome driver via PLAYWRIGHT_DRIVER_URL. docs.linuxserver.io<ref>{{cite web|title=docs.linuxserver.io|url=https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-changedetection.io/|publisher=docs.linuxserver.io|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>
So you could:
* Run changedetection.io in Termux on your phone
* Run a Playwright/Browserless service on a home server/VPS
* Configure the driver URL in the app settings/env

This keeps your watch list local while offloading heavy browser work.

==== 3) Run changedetection.io somewhere else, use it from Android ====

This is the most reliable “set and forget” approach:
* Raspberry Pi / NAS / mini-PC / cheap VPS
* Then just access the web UI from your phone

==== 4) Use the hosted changedetection.io service ====

If you’re okay with SaaS, their site advertises an easy subscription (shown as $8.99/month with a generous watch allowance). changedetection.io<ref>{{cite web|title=changedetection.io|url=https://changedetection.io/|publisher=changedetection.io|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>
You get changedetection.io without any setup, and it’s obviously Android-friendly via browser.

==== 5) If you’re open to non-changedetection apps ====

Android-native alternatives include Distill Web Monitor and Web Alert (among others). AlternativeTo<ref>{{cite web|title=AlternativeTo|url=https://alternativeto.net/software/changedetection-io/|publisher=alternativeto.net|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>

===== My recommendation =====
* Want local + free → Termux + pip install. PyPI<ref>{{cite web|title=PyPI|url=https://pypi.org/project/changedetection.io/|publisher=pypi.org|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>
* Want reliable 24/7 monitoring → run it on a small server/VPS and use Android as the client.
* Want zero hassle → official hosted plan. changedetection.io<ref>{{cite web|title=changedetection.io|url=https://changedetection.io/|publisher=changedetection.io|access-date=2025-12-06}}</ref>

If you want, I can give you a lean Termux setup tailored to your phone model and whether you care about JS-heavy pages.