Nodes List

The Nodes tab shows every device your radio has heard on the mesh. Tap any node for details.

Node Status

Element	Meaning
	Short Name & Long Name — each node has a short name (up to 4 bytes) shown in the colored circle and a long name displayed next to it. The circle color is derived from the node number. The short name can be an emoji or initials.
	Online — the node has been heard recently and is considered online.
	Idle / Sleeping — the node has not been heard from recently and may be asleep or out of range.
	Hops Away — the number of intermediate nodes relaying messages between you and this node. No hops means direct communication.

Encryption

Icon	Meaning
	No Public Key — no public key has been received for this node, so direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. to it cannot be sent. Use Exchange User Info on the node to ask for one.
	Public Key Encryption — direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. use public key infrastructure. Requires firmware 2.5+.
	Public Key Mismatch — public key does not match the previously recorded key. Verify the contact out-of-band.

Every radio has generated a keypair since firmware 2.5, so direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. use it. A radio with no public key for the destination refuses to send rather than falling back to the channel key, so a node showing the open lock cannot be messaged until its node info arrives. Node detail shows No Public Key in place of the public key row for those nodes, and they are left out of the contact list.

Device Roles

Each node is configured with a role that determines how it behaves on the mesh. Roles are shown in the node detail view.

Icon	Role	Description
	Client	Standard end-user device. Sends and receives messages, shares position.
	Client Mute	Like Client but does not forward packets from other devices. Reduces mesh traffic near congested areas.
	Client Hidden	Only broadcasts as needed for stealth or power savings.
	Client Base	Rooftop node that distributes messages widely from nearby Client Mute nodes.
	Router	Dedicated infrastructure node — prioritises packet forwarding. Not for rooftops or mobile nodes.
	Router Late	Like Router but rebroadcasts once after all other nodes. Better suited to rooftop deployments.
	Tracker	Broadcasts GPSGPS (Global Positioning System). A satellite positioning system. A node with a GPS module determines its own location and can report that position to the mesh. position packets as priority. Optimised for frequent location reporting.
	Sensor	Broadcasts telemetry packets as priority. Optimised for sensor data.
	TAKTAK (Team Awareness Kit). A situational awareness ecosystem. Meshtastic bridges to it by converting mesh messages to and from Cursor on Target format.	Optimised for ATAKATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit). The Android TAK client. An official Meshtastic plugin forwards its Cursor on Target traffic over the mesh. system communication. Reduces routine broadcasts.
	TAKTAK (Team Awareness Kit). A situational awareness ecosystem. Meshtastic bridges to it by converting mesh messages to and from Cursor on Target format. Tracker	Enables automatic TAKTAK (Team Awareness Kit). A situational awareness ecosystem. Meshtastic bridges to it by converting mesh messages to and from Cursor on Target format. PLI broadcasts. Reduces routine broadcasts.
	Lost and Found	Broadcasts location as a message to the default channel to assist with device recovery.

Choosing the Right Device Role →

Complete Node Row Examples

The full node row shows the circle avatar, battery level, encryption status, last-heard time, device role, signal strength, and log indicators all at once.

The signal meter shown here (and on a node's detail screen) rates link quality from SNRSNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio). A measure used in communications to quantify the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. In Meshtastic and other wireless systems, a higher SNR indicates a clearer signal that can enhance the reliability and quality of data transmission. relative to your radio preset — using your radio's recently reported noise floor when available — and the strength bar and the SNRSNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio). A measure used in communications to quantify the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. In Meshtastic and other wireless systems, a higher SNR indicates a clearer signal that can enhance the reliability and quality of data transmission. text color always reflect the same rating. See Signal Meter for how it works.

Compact Node Row Examples

Nodes Not Heard on Your Current LoRa Settings

Changing the radio's preset, region or frequency slotFrequency SlotThe numbered frequency within a region's band that a node transmits on. Nodes must use the same frequency slot to hear each other. When it's left at 0, most regions pick the slot from a hash of the primary channel's name. moves it to a different channel, and nodes it heard before may no longer be reachable. On firmware 2.8.1 and later, the radio reports for each node whether it has heard that node over LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures. on the settings it is using now, including after changes made from the device's menu or the CLICLI (Command Line Interface). A text-based interface used for interacting with software or devices like Meshtastic..

A node the radio has not heard shows Not heard on current LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures. under its last-heard time. That is separate from online and offline: a node can be online and still not heard on these settings. Nodes known only over MQTTMQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). A lightweight messaging protocol designed for small sensors and mobile devices, enabling efficient data transmission in the Meshtastic network for Internet connectivity and integration with IoT platforms. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQTT. In Meshtastic, MQTT is used to connect a node to the internet, and can be used to connect multiple meshes to each other. are never marked, because they don't reach your radio over LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures.. Switching back to the earlier settings brings back the earlier answers on their own.

When most of the list is in that state, the Nodes tab shows a notice such as 87 nodes not heard on your current LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures. settings. Choose Remove Them to open a confirmation that includes the number of nodes, such as Remove 1 node? or Remove 10 nodes?. Confirming removes those nodes from this app and the connected radio, and keeps favorites and the connected node. A node returns if it is heard again. Choose Keep to dismiss the notice until more nodes join that count. Nothing is removed unless you choose to.

Older firmware doesn't report this, so the marker and the notice don't appear.

Context Menu Actions

Long-press any node in the list to access quick actions:

• Add to favorites / Remove from favorites — star important nodes so they appear at the top of the list
• Display name — give a node a local nickname (see Display Names below)
• Status Message — set the status your radio broadcasts to the mesh (connected node only, firmware 2.8+)
• Mute notifications / Unmute — silence alerts from this node
• Message — open a direct messageDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. conversation with this node
• Trace Route — discover the path messages take to reach this node (see Trace Routes)
• Ignore / Remove from ignored — hide this node from normal views
• Remove — remove the node from your local database

Open a node and choose Track in Live Activity to keep it on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island: its battery, signal, when it was last heard and how far away it is. See Live Activity.

Display Names

You can give any node a local nickname that's shown throughout the app instead of its device long name — in the node list, node details, and messages. Set it from the node's long-press menu ("Display name") or from the Name row in Node Detail. The avatar circle always shows the node's actual short code, unaffected by the nickname.

Display names are stored only on this device and are never sent over the mesh, shared, or exported — they don't change the node's real identity, so QRQRA scannable square code. In Meshtastic it encodes the Channel URL, which carries the channel and LoRa settings needed to join a mesh. codes and contact sharing still use the device's actual name.

Filtering & Search

Tap the filter icon above the list to narrow which nodes are shown. Filters apply across the Nodes list, the contacts picker in Messages, and the map, so a filter set in one place takes effect everywhere.

Filter	What it shows
Online	Only nodes heard in the last two hours.
Hide Not Heard on Current LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures.	Hides nodes your radio has not heard on its current LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures. settings. Needs firmware 2.8.1 or later.
Favorites	Only nodes you have starred.
Public Key Encryption	Only nodes using PKI-encrypted direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it..
Environment	Only nodes reporting environment telemetry (temperature, humidity, pressure).
Hops Away	Limit to nodes within a chosen number of hops, including direct (0-hop) only.
Distance	Limit to nodes within a chosen radius of your location. Falls back to the connected device's last position when phone location is unavailable.
Roles	Show only the device roles you select.
Connection	Show nodes reachable via LoRaLoRaA low-power, long-range wireless communication technology used by Meshtastic devices to enable communication over distances of several kilometers without the need for cellular, Wi-Fi, or other traditional network infrastructures., via MQTTMQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). A lightweight messaging protocol designed for small sensors and mobile devices, enabling efficient data transmission in the Meshtastic network for Internet connectivity and integration with IoT platforms. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQTT. In Meshtastic, MQTT is used to connect a node to the internet, and can be used to connect multiple meshes to each other., or both. At least one is always kept on.

Filters are remembered between launches — the app reopens with the same filters applied. Search text is the exception: it is intentionally cleared on relaunch so you never reopen into a stale search that hides most of your nodes. Use the reset affordance to clear every filter and the search text at once.

The map has one additional filter of its own — Precise Locations Only, which hides nodes reporting an approximate (reduced-precision) location. See Map & Waypoints for details.

Offline Map Detail

Downloaded offline maps include the local road network. Pedestrian streets render as minor roads, so walkable streets remain visible offline. On nodes reporting the Burning Man firmware edition, the downloadable Burning Man 2026 map pack uses full zoom-level 15 detail for the Black Rock City street grid and remains available until you remove it.

Additional Icons

Tap a node and scroll to the Logs section for detailed metrics:

Log	Description
	Direction and distance to the node based on GPSGPS (Global Positioning System). A satellite positioning system. A node with a GPS module determines its own location and can report that position to the mesh.. Requires both devices to share location.
	The numbered circle shows which channel the node uses. Only shown for secondary channels (not primary channelPrimary ChannelThe channel used for a node's default traffic and its name in the mesh. It's channel 0, and its name helps set the node's frequency slot. 0).
	Battery level, voltage, channel utilisation, and airtime reported by the node.
	GPSGPS (Global Positioning System). A satellite positioning system. A node with a GPS module determines its own location and can report that position to the mesh. position data including latitude, longitude, and altitude.
	Sensor data: temperature, humidity, barometric pressure.
	Motion or door open/close alerts from the node.
	Recorded trace route paths showing the hops a message took through the mesh, with a chart and a hop-by-hop timeline. See Trace Routes.

When a node has a known position, the Logs section also offers Estimate Coverage (cellularbars). It switches to the Map tab and opens the Site Planner coverage-estimate form prefilled from that node. See Coverage Estimate (Site Planner) on the Map page for the full flow.

Local Stats and Noise Floor

Local Stats show radio diagnostics reported by a node, including packets received, packets transmitted, duplicate packets, relayed packets, bad receives, canceled packets, online node count, total node count, and noise floor.

When requesting Local Stats from another node, choose how to protect the request:

• Shared channel encrypts the request with the selected mesh channel and is suitable for ordinary requests between channel members.
• Remote admin uses PKI encryption and is unavailable until the destination has advertised a public key.

Noise floor is displayed in dBm when the node reports it. Treat it as a directional diagnostic instead of an absolute site score: readings can vary quickly, and external filters can lower or skew the displayed value because of insertion lossLoS (Line of Sight). A pathway through only air between two points. or in-band interference.

Node Detail View

Tap any node to see the full detail view with hardware info, signal metrics, environment sensors, and log navigation:

For messageable nodes, use Actions > Share Contact QRQRA scannable square code. In Meshtastic it encodes the Channel URL, which carries the channel and LoRa settings needed to join a mesh. to show a Meshtastic contact link and QRQRA scannable square code. In Meshtastic it encodes the Channel URL, which carries the channel and LoRa settings needed to join a mesh. code that another device can scan.

Write a Contact to an NFC Tag

On iPhones with NFCNFC (Near Field Communication). A very short-range wireless protocol. Some clients expose NFC-related settings. hardware (iOS 18 or later), the contact share sheet also offers Write to NFCNFC (Near Field Communication). A very short-range wireless protocol. Some clients expose NFC-related settings. Tag. Hold a writable NFCNFC (Near Field Communication). A very short-range wireless protocol. Some clients expose NFC-related settings. tag near the top of your iPhone and the contact link is saved to it, replacing whatever the tag held before. Anyone can then tap that tag with their phone to open the contact in Meshtastic — the tag carries exactly the same link the QRQRA scannable square code. In Meshtastic it encodes the Channel URL, which carries the channel and LoRa settings needed to join a mesh. code encodes.

Importing a Shared Contact

Opening a Meshtastic contact link — by scanning a QRQRA scannable square code. In Meshtastic it encodes the Channel URL, which carries the channel and LoRa settings needed to join a mesh. code, tapping a shared link, or tapping an NFCNFC (Near Field Communication). A very short-range wireless protocol. Some clients expose NFC-related settings. tag — presents a confirmation sheet before anything is added. The sheet shows the node's colored initials, its long name, and an explanation that adding the contact saves their name and public key to your connected node. Choose Add Contact to import, or Cancel to dismiss.

If the import fails — most often because the radio disconnected — the sheet stays open and shows the reason so you can reconnect and tap Add Contact again. It closes only once the contact has actually been sent to your node. A link that is damaged or truncated is reported as an invalid format instead of being imported.

If the contact carries a different public key than your node already holds for that node number, the sheet says so and Add Contact stays disabled until you turn on Replace the stored key. Importing replaces the key your node encrypts direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. to that contact with, so only continue if you expected it to change — they reset their node, or set it up again. A contact you have never added, or one carrying the same key you already hold, imports without the extra step.

A contact that carries no public key cannot be added. Add Contact is disabled and the sheet says the contact does not include one. The key is the point of a shared contact — it is what lets your node send direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. to that contact — and applying a keyless one would clear the key your node already held, breaking direct messagesDirect MessageA message sent to one node rather than broadcast to a channel. It's encrypted with a key that only the sender and the recipient can compute, so other nodes can relay it but can't read it. that used to work. For the same reason, a node you have no public key for cannot be shared from this app.

Importing a contact requires firmware 2.6.9 or later on the connected node.

Air Quality

Nodes with a particulate-matter sensor — reporting the firmware's Air Quality telemetry — show an Air Quality section with the latest PM2.5, PM1.0, and PM10 readings in µg/m³.

An Air Quality Metrics Log entry appears under the node's logs, with a seven-day chart and table of the particulate-matter readings (configurable columns), a Clear action to delete stored readings, and CSV export.

Signed Node

If a node signs its broadcast packets, a green shield (🛡️) Signed node row appears in the detail view, marked Verified automatically. This means the radio has cryptographically verified an XEdDSA signature from this node (firmware 2.8 or later). Because a node's identity broadcast is itself signed, its name and identity are verified by extension.

This is automatic trust observed from the radio — distinct from manually verifying a contact's public key out-of-band, which is a separate, user-asserted action. The row only ever affirms the good state; nodes that don't sign simply show no shield, which is not a warning.

Hardware Info

The hardware section shows information about the physical device running the node. The section title reflects the device's support status:

Status	Meaning
Supported Hardware	Device is actively supported with firmware updates.
Maker Hardware	Independent maker hardware that is built and tested, but not Backer or Partner hardware.
Discontinued Hardware	Device is no longer supported and does not receive firmware updates.

For supported devices, the support tier is shown below the hardware name:

Tier	Description
Flagship	Recommended device with full feature support and active development.
Niche	Supported device with active firmware updates and a specialised form factor.
Legacy	Older device that still receives firmware updates but may lack some features.

Where to Buy

For devices with known purchase links, an I want one section appears below the hardware info. It shows the official vendor link and regional marketplace options (Amazon, Rokland, AliExpress, and others) sourced from msh.to.

Marketplace links are filtered to your device region, so only stores that ship to your area are shown. Vendor links (directly from the device manufacturer) are always shown regardless of region.

Some of these are affiliate links. The app says so — product links may be affiliate links, and purchases may earn Meshtastic a commission. In the I want one section the disclosure sits in small print below the links; the full directory at Settings → Device Links shows it above them.

Tip — No purchase links shown Purchase links require an internet connection on first launch and after clearing app data. Connect the app to update the device catalog.

Device Configuration Docs →