If you're wondering what exactly the Arduino IoT Cloud Remote app for Android is for, the short answer is that it allows you to access, monitor, and manage your IoT panels with just a few taps on your mobile screen. The long and most interesting aspect is that it opens the door to managing your projects from anywhere, without having to sit in front of your computer and without a schedule.
The beauty of this app is that it integrates with the Arduino IoT Cloud platform so you can create dashboards on the web and then use them on your phone. This means that with a well-thought-out setup, you'll have real-time telemetry and remote control of your devices, whether it's an automatic irrigation system, a small production line, or home automation.
What is Arduino
Arduino is a family of microcontroller boards that stands out for being free, affordable and easy to program. It is programmed with the official environment, which is reminiscent of C and Java, and includes examples and libraries to start projects without complicating your life.
When we talk about family, we mean that there are multiple models, from very compact options to more powerful ones. Thanks to its open philosophy, anyone can mount or expand hardware, leaning on apps for electronic diagrams, although for price and convenience it is normal to purchase a standard commercial model.
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
IoT is the acronym for Internet of Things and refers to connecting everyday objects to the network to consult and govern them remotelyIt could be a washing machine, a refrigerator, a television, or an industrial node that makes decisions according to defined rules.
In a broader view, adding connectivity allows a device to combine sensor data with external information to act in a certain way. contextual intelligenceFor example, an irrigation system that assesses temperature, soil moisture, and rainfall forecast before opening the valves.
To achieve this you need three pieces: the equipment or actuator to govern, a set of sensors that measure the environment and a control board that integrates everything, like Arduino, with the appropriate connectivity, whether Wi-Fi, cellular, LoRa, or other wireless options.
Arduino IoT Cloud and its Remote app for Android
The Arduino IoT Cloud platform brings together hardware, firmware, and cloud services to help you build end-to-end IoT projects. The Arduino IoT Cloud Remote app for Android is the perfect companion to those panels, as it allows you to access them from anywhere.
Typical cases where this app shines: in the field, reading data from soil sensors or start irrigation Remotely; in the factory, constant visibility of a line's status with the ability to trigger automation; at home, check energy consumption and manage home automation from the comfort of your couch.
The panels are created on the Arduino IoT Cloud website from the computer or tablet, and then the mobile app serves as handheld controlYou can link each widget on a dashboard to variables in one or more different IoT projects for maximum flexibility.
Widgets available on the panels
Arduino IoT Cloud dashboards offer a wide set of simple and powerful widgets for visualizing and sending data. Below is the repertoire, with names in Spanish and equivalences where applicable, so you know what you can place on your dashboards and then use with the Remote app on Android. Each one serves a purpose. display, enter or activate values ​​according to the type of linked variable.
- Switch
- Push-button
- Slider Slider
- Incremental Stepper
- Messenger Messaging
- Color Picker Color
- Dimmable lights
- Colored lights
- Numeric value Value
- Status
- Gauge Meter
- Percentage
- LED Indicator
- Map Map
- Chart
- Time picker
- Scheduler Programmer
- Value Dropdown
- Value Selector
- Sticky Note
- Image Image
- Advanced Chart
- Advanced Map Advanced Map
- Image Map Image Map
- Link Link
The key is that widgets are bound to variables in your projects and when the device is connected to the cloud, the values ​​are updated in real timeThis makes your phone your control cockpit wherever you are.
Arduino IoT Cloud Highlights
Arduino IoT Cloud is designed so that anyone can create IoT projects with an accessible interface and an all-in-one solution that covers configuration, code writing, loading and visualization.
Among its functions we find data monitoring, to see the reading of data on a panel. sensors and variables without extra work; and synchronization of variables between devices, which facilitates communication between nodes with little coding.
The scheduler allows you to trigger tasks at specific periods of time (seconds, minutes, or hours); and with OTA uploads you can upload firmware remotely to plates that are not connected to the computer.
In addition, it supports webhooks to integrate third-party services such as IFTTT, compatibility with Amazon Alexa for voice control and options to share dashboards with other people.
Compatible hardware and connectivity
To use Arduino IoT Cloud, you need a cloud-compatible board. You can opt for official Arduino models or ESP32 and ESP8266-based boards. Connectivity-wise, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN via The Things Network, GSM or NB-IoT cellular networks, and even Wi-Fi are supported. Ethernet on specific equipment.
Official Arduino Cloud compatible boards usually integrate a secure hardware element such as the ECC508 cryptographic chip to save keys and credentials in a safe way.
Wi-Fi connection
Arduino Wi-Fi boards use the 2,4 GHz band, which is sufficient for most short-range projects. Here are the featured options and what they offer for your projects. panels and the Remote app:
MKR 1000 Wi-FiAimed at those with limited networking experience who want to add Wi-Fi. It includes a Li-Po charger for battery operation or external 5V with automatic switching, a 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, abundant I/O, low-power Wi-Fi, and a cryptographic chip for secure communication. It's programmed with the Arduino IDE and is ideal for compact, battery-powered IoT nodes. It's priced at around €60 on Amazon.
MKR Wi-Fi 1010. Facilitates IoT prototyping with Wi-Fi and BLE, including low-power mode to extend battery lifeConnects to existing networks or can create a hotspot. Compatible with the Arduino cloud and powered by USB or 3,7V Li-Po with USB charging. Around €40 on Amazon.
Nano RP2040 ConnectBased on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 chip with a dual 133MHz Cortex M0+ core, 264KB of SRAM and 2MB of Flash, and 26 multifunction GPIOs. It's a low-cost, high-performance board that supports C, C++, and MicroPython SDKs and offers extensive development resources. Approximately €16 on Amazon.
Nano 33 IoT. Compact 48 x 18 mm and robust, with NINA B306 module based on nRF52840 and Cortex M4F. Compatible with Arduino IDE online and offline, it integrates 9-axis IMU and low consumption Compared to other processors of the same size. 64 MHz clock, 1 MB of Flash and 256 KB of RAM, 15-pin connectors per side. About €28 on Amazon.
Power H7. Run high-level code and real-time tasks simultaneously by combining two processors. You can run Arduino and MicroPython at the same time and have both cores communicate with each other. It enables computer vision with TensorFlow Lite and control of low-level tasks simultaneously. Designed for industrial machinery, laboratories, PLCs, HMIs, robotics, and more. Around €100 in the official store.
Portenta H7 Lite ConnectedA more economical variant of the H7, it removes the high-resolution video interface but adds wireless connectivity. It retains the dual CPU for AI and low-latency control, allowing Arduino and MicroPython to run in parallel via remote calls between cores. Ideal for balancing performance and simplicityAbout €89 in the official store.
Portenta Machine Control. A low-power, centralized industrial controller capable of governing equipment and machinery. Programmable with Arduino or embedded platforms, it enables AI and predictive maintenance with real-time telemetry and remote control, even from the cloud. Around €300 in the Arduino store.
Nicla Vision. Tiny 22,86 x 22,86 mm module with STM32H747AII6 Dual ARM Cortex M7 M4, 2 MP color camera supporting TinyML, 6-axis IMU, microphone and distance sensor. Works with OpenMV, MicroPython, Wi-Fi and BLE, integrates with Portenta and MKR. Ideal for embedded vision and edge AI such as object recognition and predictive maintenance. Approximately €95.
Opta. Programmable controller with dual STM32H747XI Cortex M7 processors at 480 MHz and M4 processors at 240 MHz, with remote inter-core call mechanism. It covers real-time control, monitoring, and predictive maintenance, with a secure OTA element and remote control via Arduino Cloud or third parties. Lite Ethernet and USB-C, RS485, and RS485 with BLE Wi-Fi variants. Release and documentation provided by Arduino Pro.
LoRaWAN
The MKR WAN 1300 and MKR WAN 1310 boards connect to the Arduino IoT Cloud via The Things Stack, a LoRaWAN server connected to thousands of public gateways. With the appropriate low-power configuration, the board can send data for months with a single battery, perfect for remote areas or urban environments where Wi-Fi is unavailable.
GSM and NB-IoT
The MKR GSM 1400 and MKR NB 1500 require a SIM card to connect via cellular networks. This option is ideal for mobile projects or when Wi-Fi is unavailable, such as tracking moving assets. Keep in mind that a secure connection consumes memory, leaving little room for the user application—for example, about 2,6 kB on the MKR GSM 1400—so too many cloud variables can exhaust RAM.
ESP32 and ESP8266
Arduino IoT Cloud also supports a wide variety of third-party boards based on the ESP32 and ESP8266 microcontrollers. To configure them, simply choose the option third parties in the configuration from the device and follow the wizard.
Ethernet
There is Ethernet connection support on specific devices. You can link the Portenta H7 with a shield or carrier Ethernet compatible like the Portenta Vision Shield Ethernet or use Portenta Machine Control, and also connect Opta where applicable.
If you're going to enable Ethernet on the Portenta H7 when setting up the device, select that option. If you already had it as Wi-Fi, you'll need to remove and reconfigure for Ethernet. Please note that older hardware like the Ethernet Shield Rev2 and MKR ETH Shield are not supported by Arduino IoT Cloud.
Getting started with Arduino IoT Cloud and the Remote app
Below you will see the typical path, from start to finish, to get your panels and devices ready and ready for you to keep track on your mobile with Arduino IoT Cloud Remote.
1. Create your Arduino account
The starting point is to log in or register on Arduino. Without an account you will not be able to access the cloud functions or link devices.
2. Enter Arduino IoT Cloud
Once inside, access the cloud from the four-dot menu on arduino.cc or directly through the service URL. From there you'll have all sections by hand: Things, Devices, Panels, Editor and more.
3. Create a Thing
The flow starts by creating a new Thing. In its overview, you choose the board, the network it will connect to, and the variables you will monitor or control. Any changes generate a special sketch with the code needed to connect and synchronize variables.
4. Set up the device
To add and link the board to a Thing, you need to have Arduino Agent installed on your computer. The wizard is quick: press Select Device or Configure New Device, connect the board, and it's ready. cloud-ready.
5. Define variables
You can create variables of type int, float, boolean, long, or char, as well as special types such as Temperature, Speed, or Luminance. When adding a variable, you choose the name, type, update mode and read and write permissions as appropriate.
6. Connect to the network
From the network section, enter the Wi-Fi credentials and save. This data is also integrated into the automatically generated sketch, so that the board is connect safely to your router or AP.
7. Program and upload the sketch
The cloud editor creates an INO file with the necessary framework for connection and synchronization. You can add your sensor reading and actuator control logic, using cloud variables to send and receive data. If a variable allows reading and writing, a callback function is also generated to react when its value changes, reducing the amount of work involved in the loop.
To upload the code, click Upload. Open the Serial Monitor to see connection messages, such as connected to network_name and connected to the cloud, or possible authentication errors or network. The Cloud Editor is a minimalist mirrored version of the Web Editor, more convenient for complex sketches.
8. Build your dashboard
With the board connected and the sketch working, comes the fun part: creating the dashboard. From the Dashboards tab, you can create new dashboards and view existing ones. Add widgets, link them to variables, and as soon as the device is online, you'll see instant data and you can activate controls from your mobile phone with the Remote app.
Be aware of compatibility: not all widgets can be linked to any type of variable. For example, a switch doesn't work with a pure integer variable. You can have multiple Things running, including variables from multiple boards, in a single panel, depending on your cloud plan. This is very useful in cloud networks. distributed sensors.
Real-life use cases with the Remote app
In agricultural projects, the app allows you to view instantaneous data on soil moisture, temperature, and solenoid valve status, and initiate manual irrigation if needed. Thanks to the timer, you can also automate time slots and follow the history with graphs.
In industrial environments, having a dashboard with machine statuses, production counters, alarms, and remote reset buttons is a plus. Constant visibility and the ability to act instantly from a mobile device reduce downtime and displacements.
At home, viewing energy usage and sensor status, controlling dimmable and color-coded lights, or activating away mode from the comfort of your couch is incredibly convenient. With Alexa, you can even give voice commands to the actions exposed by your variables in the cloud.
Integrations and APIs to go further
Arduino IoT Cloud offers several integration paths beyond dashboards. Support for HTTP REST APIs, MQTT, command-line tools, JavaScript, and WebSockets has been announced, opening the door to tailor-made services and custom dashboards if you need them.
Additionally, webhooks are used to trigger events on platforms like IFTTT. With this, you can, for example, send a notification to your mobile phone when a certain variable crosses a threshold or log data to an external service.
Resources and documentation
The official Arduino IoT Cloud documentation is extensive: you will find tutorials, cheat sheets with technical descriptions, and API guide, and developer references for platform SDKs. It's a good starting point for answering questions and fine-tuning your architecture.
Creating dashboards and best practices with widgets
By combining basic and advanced widgets, you can build interfaces that are as simple or as powerful as you need. Gauges and percentages work well for analog variables, while switches and pushbuttons simplify the control of relays or digital outputs.
For geolocation, the Map widget and Advanced Map are perfect if your device reports coordinates, and the Image Map will help you locate devices in plans of facilities. The advanced chart is useful for long history records and multiple series.
Text elements like Messaging, Sticky Note, Link, and Image serve to provide context, show instructions, or point to internal documentation. Take advantage of the Scheduler to automatically turn off uploads during prohibited hours or turn on the air conditioning before an arrival.
The Arduino IoT Cloud Remote app for Android is the ace in the hole that turns your cloud panels into a pocket-sized remote control. You can take a dashboard with live data, buttons, graphs, and maps with you anywhere, with the peace of mind that the platform supports it. OTA, webhooks, Alexa, variable synchronization, and multiple hardware and connectivity options. With a good selection of widgets and the right architecture, your IoT projects can go from being a laboratory prototype to running reliably in the field, factory, or home, while keeping control in the palm of your hand.
