Control Claude Code From Your Phone: 6 Options (2026)
Six options reviewed: Anthropic Remote Control, PocketShell, Happy, Moshi, Omnara, and DIY tmux plus SSH.
The right fit depends on whether you want a first-party Claude interface, a general terminal and project workspace, or direct control over your own SSH and tmux setup.
Anthropic Remote Control is the first-party Claude option. Its current server mode can create multiple local sessions on demand, while its interactive mode exposes one running Claude Code process. Dedicated apps and tmux plus SSH solve broader terminal and multi-agent workflows.
PocketShell is our product. Its agent control is browse Claude Code and Codex session history, then resume a session into a live terminal with completion push notifications; it is not an in-app chat composer.
We used publicly documented product features, pricing pages, docs, source links listed below, and our own testing of PocketShell's host agent and mobile workflows.
Written and tested by Yash Agarwal, the developer of PocketShell. PocketShell is our product; that conflict is disclosed throughout this guide.
Methodology and correctionsSecurity wording here is scoped deliberately: authenticated P2P/TURN WebRTC traffic is end-to-end encrypted with DTLS. Terminal and agent traffic can use a server-readable WSS/TLS fallback while WebRTC is unavailable; file signaling has a documented key-exchange fallback. Read the security architecture for the exact paths.
1. Anthropic Remote Control
Anthropic Remote Control connects claude.ai/code or the Claude iOS/Android app to Claude Code v2.1.51+ running on your machine. It supports server mode (claude remote-control), a new interactive session (claude --remote-control), and takeover of an existing session with /rc.
According to the current Anthropic documentation server mode can create multiple on-demand local sessions. Work stays on the host, messages travel through the Anthropic API over TLS, and the host opens no inbound port. The local Claude process must keep running; sleep and transient network loss reconnect automatically, while an awake host offline for roughly ten minutes times out. Mobile push requires Claude Code v2.1.110+. Access requires an eligible claude.ai subscription; Anthropic lists Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise, with Owner enablement for Team and Enterprise. API-key authentication is unsupported.
2. PocketShell
Install the host agent with curl|bash on macOS/Linux or npm including Windows, scan the QR in about 2 minutes with P2P pairing and no SSH keys, then open Agent Sessions. Browse Claude/Codex history and resume into a live terminal tab.
OSC-133 completion marks power push notifications. PocketShell combines a project file tree, code editor, git status and diffs, terminal tabs, and live dev-server preview in one mobile workspace connected to your own machine. Honest limits: resume-into-terminal is not in-app chat, and the free tier covers 2 hosts and the last 10 agent sessions.
3. Happy
Happy is free, MIT open source, QR paired, has a real chat UI, parallel sessions, and voice. Its limits are agent-only scope, no terminal/files, and an E2E relay that is self-hostable.
4. Moshi
Moshi gives a chat view over your own tmux session plus strong notifications and Watch support. Its limits: you must already run SSH/Mosh/tmux plus moshi-hook, and some features are Pro-gated.
5. Omnara
Omnara offers dashboards, Watch support, and sessions that survive laptop offline. Its limits: transcripts are server-side in hosted mode, and it is $9/mo past 10 sessions.
6. DIY tmux + SSH client
Termius or Blink with tmux is free, works today, and needs no new tools. The limits are no push when Claude finishes, manual reattach, SSH exposure or VPN setup, and fiddly mobile ergonomics.
Side by side
| Question | Remote Control | PocketShell | Happy | Moshi | Omnara | DIY tmux + SSH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can start sessions on your own machine remotely? | Yes, while server mode runs on the host; /rc exposes an existing interactive session | Yes: open terminal and run `claude`, or resume history | Dedicated agent controller | Needs your SSH/Mosh/tmux setup | Agent dashboard | Yes, through shell |
| Adds its own AI-plan requirement? | Requires an eligible Claude subscription; API keys are unsupported | No: PocketShell works alongside the Claude plan you already use | No | No | No | No |
| Works with Codex too? | No | Yes | Yes | Claude/Codex sessions | Claude Code + Codex | Yes if installed |
| Real terminal? | Not a standalone manual shell; the UI drives Claude Code in the host environment | Yes | No | Over your tmux session | No | Yes |
| Completion push? | Yes, on supported Claude Code versions | Yes, OSC-133 completion push | Push | Notifications | Watch/dashboard notifications | No push when Claude finishes |
| Data path | Outbound HTTPS through the Anthropic API over TLS; no inbound host port | WebRTC DTLS on P2P/TURN; WSS/TLS server-readable fallback for terminal and agent traffic | E2E relay, self-hostable | Your SSH/Mosh/tmux reachability | Hosted mode server-side transcripts | Your SSH/VPN path |
| Price | Included with eligible Claude subscriptions; API keys unsupported | Free / $4.99mo / $39.99yr / $99.99 | Free | $7.99mo / $69.99yr / $199 | Free 10 sessions/mo, then $9/mo | Free, works today, no new tools |
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Questions people ask
Can I start a Claude Code session from my phone?
Does this work with the $20 Pro plan?
What about Codex?
Is my code sent to a cloud?
Put your hosts on your phone.
Install the host agent, scan the QR, and pair a machine you own. The host agent is open source under Apache-2.0.