The short answer
| Option | Where Claude Code runs | Computer must stay on | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote Control | Your computer | Yes | Steering a session you started at your desk, with your local files, tools and MCP servers |
| Cloud sessions | Anthropic's cloud, on a GitHub repository | No | Starting new tasks from your phone, with nothing running at home |
| SSH and tmux | Your computer or a server | Yes | Full terminal access, from any SSH app |
Remote Control is available on Claude Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and cloud sessions on Pro, Max and Team plans and Enterprise seats that include Claude Code. SSH works with any setup.
Option 1: Claude Code Remote Control
Remote Control connects the Claude app on iOS or Android, or claude.ai/code in any browser, to a Claude Code session running on your machine. Claude keeps running locally, so your files, tools, project settings and MCP servers all stay available. Your phone is a window into the same session.
1. Sign in with your Claude account. Run claude and use /login to sign in through claude.ai. Remote Control needs a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise subscription; API keys aren't supported. On Team and Enterprise, an Owner turns it on in the Claude Code admin settings first.
2. Install the Claude app on your phone. Inside Claude Code, run /mobile to show a QR code that opens the right app store.
3. Start a Remote Control session. Pick the way that fits:
# A server that waits for connections from your phone or browser
claude remote-control --name "Billing app"
# A normal interactive session you can also reach from your phone
claude --remote-control "Billing app"
Or, inside a session that's already running, type:
/remote-control
/rc is the short form, and the same command works in the VS Code extension and the Desktop app.
4. Connect from your phone. In server mode, press the space bar to show a QR code and scan it with your phone. Otherwise, open the Claude app or claude.ai/code and pick the session from the list. Messages from your terminal, browser and phone all go to the same conversation, and you can attach photos and files from your phone.
5. Keep the computer awake. The session runs on your machine, so it has to stay on with claude running. If your laptop sleeps or the network drops, Claude Code reconnects when the machine comes back. On a Mac, caffeinate -i in another terminal keeps it from sleeping while the session runs.
Run more than one session. Server mode can host several sessions at once. --spawn worktree gives each new session from your phone its own git worktree, so parallel sessions don't edit the same files:
claude remote-control --spawn worktree
To turn Remote Control on for every interactive session, run /config and set Enable Remote Control for all sessions.
Option 2: Cloud sessions in the Claude app
A cloud session runs Claude Code on Anthropic-managed infrastructure instead of your computer, so it keeps going after you close your laptop. Start one from the Code tab in the Claude app, from claude.ai/code, or from your terminal.
1. Connect GitHub. Cloud sessions clone your repository from GitHub and push branches back. Connect it during setup at claude.ai/code, or run /web-setup in Claude Code to use your local gh login.
2. Start a task from your phone. Open the Code tab in the Claude app, pick the repository and describe the task.
3. Or send tasks from your desk and follow them on your phone. Each command starts its own cloud session:
claude --cloud "Fix the flaky test in auth.spec.ts"
claude --cloud "Update the API documentation"
Claude clones the branch you're on from GitHub, not your local checkout, so push first.
4. Review and ship. Each session shows its diff. Leave comments, ask for changes, then create a pull request. To carry on at your desk, run claude --teleport to pull the session and its branch into your terminal.
Cloud sessions count toward the same plan usage as the rest of your Claude and Claude Code use.
Option 3: SSH and tmux from any terminal app
If you'd rather have the full terminal, run Claude Code inside tmux on your computer or a server and attach to it over SSH from your phone.
1. Make the machine reachable. On a Mac, turn on Remote Login in System Settings → General → Sharing. To reach it away from home without opening ports to the internet, put your computer and phone on a private network such as Tailscale.
2. Start Claude Code inside tmux.
tmux new -s claude
cd ~/code/billing-app && claude
Detach with Ctrl-b then d. Claude Code keeps running.
3. Attach from your phone. In an SSH app such as Blink Shell or Termius (iOS) or Termux (Android), connect to your computer and run:
tmux attach -t claude
4. Make it phone-friendly. Use an SSH key instead of a password, and try mosh instead of ssh if your connection drops often, because it survives network changes. Short prompts and the up arrow for history save a lot of typing on a phone keyboard.
Tips for running Claude Code from a phone
- Prepare tasks at your desk. A clear task description written on a keyboard is worth more than a long prompt typed on a phone. Start the session with a plan, then steer from your phone.
- Choose permissions before you leave. Each tool call that needs approval waits for you. Plan mode and the permission modes in Claude Code decide how often that happens.
- Review diffs on a bigger screen when you can. A phone is great for answering questions and unblocking work. Large diffs are easier to review at a desk.
- Keep an eye on usage. Sessions running while you're away still spend from your plan. AI coding agent costs covers plans and limits.
How Chief puts every agent in your pocket
The options above let you control one session at a time. Chief manages all of your agents across all of your projects, so your phone becomes the place where you make decisions, not where you type prompts.
- The Chief web app works on your phone. Open Chief in your phone's browser to see every project, approve or deny proposed milestones, answer your queue and check what shipped. The agents keep running on your computer through the Chief relay, with your own Claude Code, Codex and other subscriptions.
- Work keeps moving while you're away. Set a goal, and Chief plans milestones, runs the independent ones in parallel and reviews each result against its definition of done. With Auto mode on, Chief keeps going within the task limit and weekly usage cap you set. You come back to finished, reviewed work and a short list of decisions.
- Ask Chief from the Claude mobile app. Add the Chief MCP server as a custom connector on claude.ai, and it's available in the Claude apps on iOS and Android too. Ask "what's waiting on me?" or "what shipped today?", or propose the next milestone. See Use Chief from your AI assistant for the setup.
- Approve from Discord. Chief for Discord posts a ship log to your server each time a milestone ships, and in a DM with Chief,
/chief waitinglists the proposals waiting on you, with Approve and Deny behind a confirmation step.
You can start on Chief's Free plan. See all integrations, or how Chief works with Claude Code.
FAQ
Can I use Claude Code on my phone?
Yes. Use Remote Control to steer a session running on your computer from the Claude app, start a cloud session from the Code tab in the Claude app, or SSH into your computer and attach to Claude Code in tmux.
Does my computer need to stay on for Claude Code Remote Control?
Yes. With Remote Control, Claude Code runs on your machine and your phone is a window into that session, so the computer has to stay on and the claude process has to keep running. Cloud sessions run on Anthropic's infrastructure, so they keep going with your computer off.
Which Claude plans include Remote Control?
Remote Control is available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, signed in with a claude.ai account. API keys aren't supported, and on Team and Enterprise an Owner has to turn it on in the admin settings first.
Can I approve Claude Code permission prompts from my phone?
Yes. In a Remote Control or cloud session, questions and approvals appear in the Claude app and at claude.ai/code, and you can answer them there. With Chief, you approve whole milestones from your phone, and the agents run them without stopping to ask you about each step.
Can I run multiple Claude Code sessions from my phone?
Yes. A Remote Control server hosts several sessions at once, and --spawn worktree gives each one its own git worktree. Each cloud session is also independent, so you can start several from the Claude app. Chief runs parallel agents across all your projects and gathers what needs you into one queue. See How to run multiple Claude Code agents in parallel.