How to Capture Mobile App Traffic with Charles: A Step‑by‑Step Guide

Introduction

Hello, I’m Kuls. Many readers ask how to scrape content from mobile apps, which is more complex than web scraping. This article explains how to capture app data, which tools to use, and how to configure them.

Charles Proxy Overview

Charles is an HTTP proxy and monitoring tool that can act as a reverse proxy, allowing developers to view all HTTP communication, including requests, responses, headers, cookies, and caching information.

It functions as a packet‑capture software similar to Fiddler or Wireshark.

Charles is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it highly compatible across platforms.

Preparation

Requirements: a computer, a mobile phone, and a Wi‑Fi network.

Download and install Charles (a 30‑day trial is available). Open Charles and navigate to Proxy → Proxy Settings to set the port to 8888 (default).

Then go to Proxy → SSL Proxying Settings , enable SSL proxying, and add an entry with address * and port 443.

Certificate Installation

Install the Charles root certificate on your computer (screenshots omitted). After installation, you’ll see the certificate listed, confirming it’s active.

Next, install the certificate on your mobile device. On the phone, edit the Wi‑Fi settings, set the proxy to manual, enter your computer’s IP address (use ifconfig on macOS or ipconfig on Windows) and port 8888, then save.

Open a browser on the phone and visit chls.pro/ssl. Allow the prompt that appears on the computer, then install the description profile that shows up on the phone.

Testing

Launch the target app (e.g., Xiaohongshu). Charles will start capturing the app’s network traffic, confirming that the configuration is successful.

Conclusion

This setup is the essential first step for scraping data from mobile apps or mini‑programs; without it, subsequent work is impossible. While exact steps may vary slightly between devices, the overall process remains consistent.