First Launch

First Launch Setup

Argosy's first-run wizard walks you through everything it needs to get from a fresh install to a playable library. You can revisit most of these steps later in Settings, so it's fine to skip something and come back.

Wizard steps

1. RomM login — enter your server URL and an 8-character pairing code generated from the RomM web UI (Settings > Auth > Pair Device). Devices with a camera can scan the QR code instead. Connect finishes the handshake and shows your library stats.
2. Permissions — grant the permissions Argosy needs in one consolidated step: Storage (to manage ROM files and saves), Notifications (download and sync progress), Display Over Other Apps (in-game save detection), and Usage Access (accurate play time tracking and resume). Tap each row to open the Android settings page; granted rows show a checkmark. You can skip any permission and grant it later from Settings > Permissions.
3. Games path — pick the folder where downloaded ROMs should land. See Storage and Paths for how this interacts with per-platform overrides.
4. Image cache (optional) — by default artwork lives in the app's internal cache. If your device has limited internal storage, pick an external folder to hold an argosy_images subfolder.
5. Platform sync (only if you have more than 10 platforms) — pick which platforms from your RomM library Argosy should sync.
6. Core downloads (optional) — opt into downloading Built-in Emulator cores up front so you can play immediately without the first-launch download prompt per platform.

Save sync and accurate play time tracking are on by default once setup completes. You can toggle either in Settings if you prefer otherwise.

RomM connection notes

Your RomM server must be reachable from the device. If you're on the same LAN, use your server's local IP. If you're connecting from outside your network, you need to expose RomM externally (reverse proxy, VPN, Tailscale, etc.) — Argosy doesn't provide a tunnel.

If the connection test fails, double-check the URL (including http:// vs https://), the port, and that RomM is actually reachable from a browser on the same device.

Pairing code flow

The 8-character pairing code is single-use and expires after a short window. If you mistype, the field clears itself so you can retry. The Connect button lights up the moment all 8 characters are entered — the on-screen keyboard dismisses automatically at that point.

Password-based login isn't part of the wizard anymore. If your RomM deployment requires a username and password instead of a pairing token, log in from Settings > Server after completing the wizard.

Skipping steps

You can skip any permission and finish without touching the optional steps (image cache, platform sync, core downloads). Only the RomM login and games path are required to finish the wizard — there's no local-only mode on a fresh install.