Hi everyone!
I wanted to share a tool I built to solve a problem I’ve faced as a developer for years.
The Motivation:
I often build custom web dashboards for Home Assistant or other smart home client projects. In the past, every time I deployed a new project, I found myself compiling a custom Android WebView app just to get it running fullscreen on a tablet without the browser UI clutter.
I got tired of “reinventing the wheel” and building a new APK for every single URL or project. I needed a Universal Kiosk Wrapper that was flexible enough to handle any project—whether it’s a single wall-mounted tablet or a complex multi-view setup.
So, I built WebView Nova.
Why it’s different (The Developer Perspective):
- Multi-Layouts & Grids: It’s not just one view. You can split the screen (2x2, 3x2, Split-View) to load different URLs on the same screen. (e.g., Home Assistant on the left, Grafana stats on the right).
- Saved Profiles: You can save different configurations (URL sets, layouts) and switch between them instantly. Perfect for testing different dashboards on the same device.
- Universal Auto-Launch: No matter what URL or local IP you are using, it forces the app to launch on boot. Set it and forget it.
- Mixed Content Support: It handles both local
http://(Local Network) andhttps://(Cloud) URLs seamlessly in the same layout.
It is completely free to use. My goal was to stop coding “one-off” kiosk apps and just have one robust tool that does it all.
Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webviewnova.app
Coming Soon (Sneak Peek):
I am currently working on a major update (“Pro” version) that will resolve the biggest pain point of all: Remote Control. I can’t spoil the whole surprise yet, but imagine being able to control which URLs are displaying on your tablets dynamically via MQTT…
Let me know what you think!