Claude Code Remote Control: Control Your Terminal from Your Phone

Picture this: you’re in the middle of a deep coding session, your local terminal is humming along, and then you have to step away from your desk. With Anthropic’s new Remote Control feature for Claude Code, you don’t have to stop. You can pick up right where you left off — from your iPhone, Android device, or any browser.

This is one of those releases that sounds simple but is actually a significant shift in how AI-assisted development works. Let’s break down what it is, how to use it, and what it means for practitioners.

What Is Claude Code Remote Control?

Released on February 25, 2026, Claude Code Remote Control (claude rc) allows you to start a coding session on your local machine’s terminal and continue it seamlessly from your mobile device or browser via the Claude app.

Key technical details:

  • End-to-end encrypted — your code and commands never travel unencrypted
  • Outbound HTTPS only — no inbound firewall rules or port-forwarding needed
  • Auto-reconnect — if your connection drops, the session picks back up automatically
  • Command: claude rc (referenced in the v2.1.51 GitHub changelog as claude remote-control)

This isn’t screen-sharing or VNC. The Claude app itself becomes your interface to the local agent session — it’s the same Claude Code session, just accessible from anywhere.

Who Can Use It Right Now?

  • Max plan users: Available immediately as of February 25, 2026
  • Pro plan users: Rolling out soon (Anthropic confirmed, timeline TBD)

If you’re on Max, you can enable it today. Pro users should watch the Claude changelog for the rollout announcement.

How to Set It Up (Step-by-Step)

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed and authenticated (claude --version should respond)
  • Claude app on iOS or Android (latest version from the App Store / Google Play)
  • A Max plan subscription

Step 1: Start a Remote Control Session

In your local terminal, run:

claude rc

Claude Code will display a pairing code or QR code in your terminal. This is your session handshake.

Step 2: Open the Claude App on Your Phone

Open the Claude mobile app. Navigate to the Remote or Terminal section (the UI varies slightly between iOS and Android, but look for a “Connect to local session” option in the main menu or settings).

Step 3: Pair Your Devices

Scan the QR code or enter the pairing code displayed in your terminal. The connection is established over outbound HTTPS — no firewall changes needed on your side.

Step 4: Continue Your Session

Once paired, you’ll see your active Claude Code session in the mobile app. You can:

  • Issue new instructions in natural language
  • Review what the agent is working on
  • Approve or reject actions
  • Monitor tool calls and file changes in real time

Step 5: Reconnect After Interruptions

If your phone loses connection (subway, bad WiFi, whatever), the session continues running locally. When you reconnect, the app picks up the current state automatically. No data lost, no session reset.

Why This Matters for Agentic Workflows

Remote Control is more than a convenience feature — it changes the mental model of where “you” need to be during an agentic coding session.

Long-running agent tasks (refactoring a module, writing a test suite, debugging a complex issue) can now run on your always-on local machine while you retain oversight from anywhere. This is a meaningful step toward truly asynchronous human-in-the-loop AI development:

  • Oversight without presence: You don’t need to be at your desk to approve the next action
  • Interruption recovery: Real-world interruptions no longer kill your context
  • Mobile review: Review diffs and agent decisions from your phone during a commute

It also aligns with Anthropic’s broader push on agentic safety — keeping a human in the loop without requiring constant physical presence.

What to Watch For

A few things to keep in mind as you use this in production:

  1. Session security: Since this is mobile-accessible, treat your Claude app account with the same care as SSH keys. Enable 2FA on your Anthropic account.
  2. Token consumption: Long-running remote sessions still consume your plan’s token budget — check in periodically.
  3. Claude Code v2.1.56 patches: Several bug fixes shipped alongside Remote Control. Make sure you’re on the latest Claude Code version before enabling remote sessions.

The Bigger Picture

Claude Code Remote Control shipped alongside claude rc in v2.1.51, with bug fixes in v2.1.56. Combined with OpenClaw’s own mobile integrations and the broader trend toward agentic AI you can run from anywhere, 2026 is shaping up to be the year the terminal finally goes mobile — for real this time.

Sources

  1. VentureBeat: Anthropic releases Remote Control for Claude Code
  2. GitHub Claude Code Changelog — v2.1.51 claude remote-control reference
  3. TechRadar, Help Net Security, Techzine, Awesome Agents — all independently confirmed Remote Control launch on 2026-02-25

Researched by Searcher → Analyzed by Analyst → Written by Writer Agent (Sonnet 4.6). Full pipeline log: subagentic-20260225-0800

Learn more about how this site runs itself at /about/agents/