Claude Code Remote Control: Code From Your Phone

You start a long Claude Code task at your desk, then you need to leave. With Remote Control you keep steering that same session from your phone or any browser, while the code keeps running on your own computer.

This guide covers the three ways to start it, connecting with the QR code, push notifications, auto-connect for every session, security, limits, how it differs from cloud sessions, and fixes for every common error message.

TL;DR

What it is: a link between a Claude Code session on your machine and claude.ai/code or the Claude mobile app. Nothing moves to the cloud except the chat transcript.
Who can use it: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, signed in with a claude.ai account. API keys do not work.
Start it: claude remote-control (server mode), claude --remote-control (or --rc), or /remote-control (or /rc) inside a running session.
Connect: open the session URL, scan the QR code (press spacebar in server mode), or find the session in the Code tab of the Claude app.
Security: outbound HTTPS only, no open ports, short-lived credentials.
Catch: your computer must stay on and the claude process must keep running.

What Claude Code Remote Control Does

Remote Control turns claude.ai/code and the Claude app for iOS and Android into a window onto a session running on your machine. Claude keeps executing locally, so it still sees your files, MCP servers, tools and project config.

Full local environment: typing @ on your phone autocompletes file paths from your local project.
Several screens at once: terminal, browser and phone stay in sync, including subagent progress.
Send files from your phone: attach a photo or file. Photos go straight to Claude; other files are downloaded to your machine as @ references.
Live diff: in a git repo, the connected device shows a diff pane of your changes.

Quick answer: Remote Control keeps the work on your computer and lets you drive it from elsewhere. Claude Code on the web runs the work on a cloud VM instead. Use Remote Control when the task needs your local GPU, database or signed-in tools.

Requirements

Requirement	Details
Plan	Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. On Team and Enterprise an Owner must enable the Remote Control toggle in Claude Code admin settings.
Login	Signed in with `/login` through claude.ai. API keys, `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` and `claude setup-token` tokens do not work.
Endpoint	Direct to `api.anthropic.com`. Not available on Bedrock, Google Cloud, Microsoft Foundry, an LLM gateway or a custom `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`.
Feature flags	Unavailable if you set `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC` or `DISABLE_GROWTHBOOK`.
Folder trust	You must trust the project folder. `claude remote-control` asks `Trust <directory>? [y/N]` the first time.
Phone app	Claude for iOS or Android. Run `/mobile` in Claude Code to get a QR code to the store.

Note: a Pro plan is enough, but long remote tasks still count against your usage windows. My Claude Code pricing guide compares Pro, Max and Ultra limits.

3 Ways to Start Remote Control

1. Server mode: claude remote-control

Run this in your project folder:

claude remote-control

The first time it asks Enable Remote Control? (y/n). After you answer y, the terminal waits for remote connections, prints a session URL, and shows a QR code when you press spacebar.

Server mode can host many sessions (32 by default), which suits running several tasks from your phone.

2. Interactive session: claude –remote-control

claude --remote-control "My Project"
# short form
claude --rc

This is a normal Claude Code session you can type in locally, and it is also reachable from claude.ai and the app.

3. From a session you already started: /remote-control

/remote-control My Project
# short form
/rc

Your current conversation history carries over. The first time, a dialog asks you to pick Enable Remote Control. Run the command again to see the URL and QR code, or to disconnect.

VS Code and the Claude desktop app

Type /remote-control or /rc in the prompt box. VS Code shows a Remote Control indicator in the footer and posts the session URL in the chat, but it does not take a name or show a QR code.

Tip: in the terminal, an /rc active indicator means you are connected. It hides when the window is too narrow, so widen the terminal if you cannot see it.

Connect From Your Phone or Browser

Install the Claude app and sign in with the same account and organisation you use in the terminal.
Scan the QR code from the terminal, or open the session URL in any browser.
Or find it in the list: open claude.ai/code, or tap Code in the mobile app. Remote Control sessions show a computer icon with a green dot when online.
Type as usual. Messages from the terminal, browser and phone all go into the same conversation.
Stop a background task from the phone if needed; Claude Code stops it on your machine.

The session title comes from the name you passed, then your /rename, then the last message, then an auto name like myhost-graceful-unicorn.

Server Mode Flags

Flag	What it does
`--name "My Project"`	Session title shown at claude.ai/code
`--spawn same-dir`	All sessions share the current folder (default). They can clash on the same files.
`--spawn worktree`	Each new session gets its own git worktree. Safest for parallel work.
`--capacity <N>`	Max concurrent sessions, default 32
`--permission-mode acceptEdits`	Starting permission mode for the server’s sessions
`-c`, `--continue`	Bring back the session the last server in this folder started with
`--session-id <id>`	Bring back one session by ID
`--chrome` / `--no-chrome`	Let Claude use Chrome on your machine in those sessions
`--verbose`, `--debug`	Detailed connection logs

Press w while the server runs to switch between same-dir and worktree mode. Run claude remote-control --help for the full list.

Warning: --sandbox was removed from this command, and the server exits with an error if you pass it. Turn on sandboxing in a settings file instead.

Turn It On for Every Session

By default Remote Control only starts when you ask. To connect every interactive session automatically:

Terminal: run /config and set Enable Remote Control for all sessions to true.
Settings file: add "remoteControlAtStartup": true to ~/.claude/settings.json.
VS Code: the same toggle sits in the command menu’s Settings section.
Desktop app: Settings, Claude Code, Connect new sessions to Remote Control.

To keep one repo off the list, put "remoteControlAtStartup": false in that project’s .claude/settings.json. Sessions only appear in your own account.

Push Notifications on Your Phone

With Remote Control on, Claude can ping your phone when a long task finishes or it needs a decision. You can also ask for one: “notify me when the tests finish”.

Install and sign in to the Claude app, then allow notifications.
Run /config in the terminal.
Enable “Push when Claude decides”, “Push when actions required”, or both.

Pushes are skipped while you are typing in the terminal. If /config says No mobile registered, open the app once so it refreshes its push token.

Resume After Stopping the Server

Stopping claude remote-control with Ctrl+C takes its sessions offline, but does not archive them. For about four hours you can bring them back from the same folder:

claude remote-control                    # bring back every session
claude remote-control --continue         # only the first session
claude remote-control --session-id <id>  # one session by ID

For sessions started with --remote-control or /remote-control, resume the conversation with claude --continue or claude --resume.

Tip: on a remote Linux box over SSH, start Claude Code inside tmux or screen so the session survives when your SSH connection drops.

Which Commands Work From Mobile and Web

Works remotely	Terminal only
`/compact`, `/clear`, `/context`, `/usage`, `/exit`, `/recap`	`/plugin`
`/model sonnet`, `/effort high`, `/fast`, `/rename` (pass the value)	`/resume`
`/mcp` (text summary on mobile), `/mcp reconnect <name>`	`/claude-api` (typed)
`/config key=value` on mobile	Shell commands starting with `!`

Need to re-authorise a claude.ai connector while away? On the machine (over SSH, for example) run claude mcp login "claude.ai Slack" --no-browser, open the printed link on your phone, then send /mcp reconnect claude.ai Slack.

Security and Privacy

No open ports: your machine only makes outbound HTTPS requests and polls the Anthropic API for work.
Encrypted transport: traffic goes over TLS, with several short-lived, single-purpose credentials.
What is stored: while connected, the transcript (messages, replies, tool activity) is stored on Anthropic servers to keep devices in sync. Code execution and files stay local.
Trusted Devices (beta): Pro and Max users can turn on Require trusted devices so each phone or browser must enrol and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello or a passkey every 18 hours.
Kill switch: the disableRemoteControl setting turns it off completely. Zero Data Retention and HIPAA organisations cannot enable it.

Warning: anyone holding your unlocked phone can steer a session that can run commands on your PC. Turn on Trusted Devices and keep a strict permission mode if your machine holds anything sensitive.

Remote Control vs Cloud Sessions vs Dispatch

	Remote Control	Cloud session (web)	Dispatch
Runs on	Your machine (CLI, Desktop, VS Code)	Anthropic cloud VM	Your machine (Desktop app)
Start from	Your terminal or IDE	Browser, phone or `claude --cloud`	Message from the Claude mobile app
Local files, GPU, MCP servers	Yes	No, repo only	Yes
Computer must stay on	Yes	No	Yes
Needs GitHub	No	Yes (mostly)	No
Best for	Steering work already in progress	Parallel tasks with no local setup	Handing off a new task while away

For the cloud option in depth, read my Claude Code on the web guide.

Limits

One remote session per interactive process. Use server mode for several at once.
Computer must stay awake. Closing the terminal, IDE or desktop app takes the session offline.
Network outages: server mode gives up after about 10 minutes and exits; interactive sessions keep retrying and reconnect by themselves.
Dialogs time out: most forwarded dialogs close after 5 minutes (permission prompts and questions stay open). Change it with dialogExpiry.
Attachments: a file that fails to download shows up as [1 of 3 attachments did not arrive].

Troubleshooting Error Messages

“Remote Control requires a claude.ai subscription”

You are signed out, or an API key is overriding your login (the message may say ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set, so this session is using API-key auth). Run claude auth login, choose the claude.ai option, and remove the key from your shell or settings env block.

“Remote Control requires a full-scope login token”

You are using a token from claude setup-token or CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN. Those can only call models. Run claude auth login instead.

“Unable to determine your organization for Remote Control eligibility”

Your cached account data is stale. Run claude auth login to refresh it.

“Remote Control is disabled by your organization’s policy”

An Owner has not enabled it, or your custom role lacks the cloud sessions or Claude Code remote control permission. Ask your admin.

“Workspace not trusted”

Run claude remote-control once in an interactive terminal and answer y to the trust question. Trust in your home folder is never saved, so run it from a project folder.

“Remote Control disconnected” or “Can’t reach” on your phone

Your phone lost contact with the PC. If Claude Code is still running, an interactive session reconnects on its own once the PC is awake and online. If it is not running, start it again and resume the session. For could not reach the Remote Control server for about 30 minutes, run /remote-control.

“Another connection took over this session”

Another device or terminal grabbed the session. Run /remote-control only if you want it back.

Disconnects after a VPN or network change

Claude Code retries HTTP 403 refusals for up to three minutes, then disconnects and names what refused (network edge, proxy, VPN or firewall). Turn the VPN off or allow the Anthropic API through your firewall.

My Take

Remote Control is the feature I did not know I needed. I start a long ComfyUI or LLM-related coding task on my PC, walk away, and approve the next step from my phone instead of finding it stuck on a permission prompt an hour later.

Use server mode with --spawn worktree if you like running several tasks, and turn on push notifications. If you have not set up the CLI yet, start with my Claude Code install guide.

FAQ

Is Claude Code Remote Control free?

It costs nothing extra, but it needs a paid Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan and uses that plan’s limits. It does not work with API keys.

Does my computer need to stay on?

Yes. The session runs on your machine, so the computer must be awake and the claude process running.

What is the difference between claude remote-control and claude –remote-control?

claude remote-control is server mode that waits for connections and can host many sessions. claude --remote-control is a normal interactive session that is also reachable remotely.

Can I use Remote Control from VS Code?

Yes. Type /remote-control or /rc in the extension’s prompt box, then open the session from claude.ai/code or the Claude app.

Is Remote Control secure?

It uses outbound HTTPS only with short-lived credentials and opens no ports. Add Trusted Devices for biometric checks on every viewing device.

Why does Remote Control say it requires a claude.ai subscription when I have one?

Usually an ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or auth token in your environment is taking priority. Remove it and run claude auth login.

Can I run several Remote Control sessions at once?

Yes, with server mode. It hosts up to 32 by default, and --spawn worktree gives each one its own git worktree.