I don't have the controller but installed it for another camper. He doesn't have a smartphone. I installed the app on my phone just to check it out. Once the controller is set up, you don't have to do anything with it. The controller has a nice LCD display which allows you to check several different parameters and change settings if needed. For only $45 it is a lot of bang for the buck.
The only monitoring I have is a combo volt/amp panel meter that displays battery voltage and charge or discharge current.
