#Starting OpenClaw in browser

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lavish bramble Feb 10, 2026, 8:08 AM

Hi, im having an issue where I can no longer get in to the web interface. It's running and everything, it asks for my gateway password and I provide it but then it sits spinning saying "Starting OpenClaw"

manic baneBOT Feb 10, 2026, 8:08 AM

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shy flareBOT Feb 10, 2026, 8:10 AM

lavish bramble Hi, im having an issue where I can no longer get in to the web interface. It's r...

That “Starting OpenClaw” spinner usually means the UI did authenticate, but then it can’t complete the WebSocket handshake / device identity / pairing step (or it’s talking to the wrong gateway).

A few quick checks that usually pinpoint it:

1) First: are you opening the UI locally or remotely?

Local (same machine as the Gateway): http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Remote (LAN/Tailscale/VPS): http://<ip>:18789/ or (better) https://… via Tailscale Serve

If you’re opening it over plain HTTP remotely, browsers can block the “device identity” step (WebCrypto), which can look like it’s just stuck. Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/troubleshooting (Control UI over HTTP)

2) Check if the UI is waiting for device pairing approval (very common)

When connecting from a new browser/device remotely, the gateway may require approval.

On the gateway host, run:

openclaw devices list

If you see a pending request, approve it:

openclaw devices approve <requestId>

Then reload the UI tab. (Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/web/control-ui#device-pairing-first-connection)

3) Grab the “safe to paste” status bundle

Please paste these outputs:

openclaw --version
openclaw status --all
openclaw gateway status

Those three usually show immediately if the service is “running” but the RPC probe is failing, config mismatch, wrong bind mode, etc.

4) Quick client-side fix: clear cached UI state

If this started after an update, it can be just stale localStorage/UI cache.

Try in the browser:

Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R)
Or open an Incognito window to test
Or clear site data for the gateway origin (DevTools → Application → Clear storage)

5) If you’re remote: prefer HTTPS (Tailscale Serve)

If you’re accessing it over tailnet, the “least headache” setup is:

openclaw gateway --tailscale serve

Then open the https://<magicdns>/ URL.

If you paste openclaw status --all + openclaw gateway status, I can tell you which of the above it is within a minute.