Ctrl-C That Lands
Interrupting Claude mid-thought actually reaches it, including under the modern keyboard protocols Claude Code uses. Esc, Tab, arrows and Shift-Tab are one tap away.
>>> Claude Code on iPhone & iPad Claude Code, On Your iPhone. From Your Bed Or On The Go
Yes, you can use Claude Code from your phone. The trick to Claude Code on mobile: keep it running inside tmux on your server, attach from your iPhone with RETRO TMUX, and see at a glance whether it's working, done, or waiting for you.
$ tmux new -s agents && claude
# then, on your iPhone:
RETRO TMUX → your server → agents → you're in.
# Claude keeps working when you lock the phone. It lives on the server, not in your pocket.
// Why tmux //
SSH Forgets. tmux Doesn't
A plain SSH session lives only as long as the connection. Close the laptop, lock the phone, walk into a lift: the connection drops, the server hangs up on your shell, and everything running in it dies. Claude Code included, mid-task. tmux keeps your terminal running on the server, so the connection becomes disposable. Close anything, open anything, and carry on exactly where you left off.
plain SSH
- You close the laptop lidClaude Code is killed
- Signal drops on the trainTask gone, start again
- You switch to your phoneNew shell, empty screen
- You come back after lunchOutput lost
SSH + tmux
- You close the laptop lidClaude keeps working
- Signal drops on the trainReconnect, history intact
- You switch to your phoneAttach, pick up mid-sentence
- You come back after lunchEvery line still there
01
Start anywhere, finish anywhere. Kick off Claude on your laptop, check it from your phone in bed, answer it from your iPad on the sofa. Same session.
02
Nothing dies with the connection. Detaching is not quitting. The session runs until you kill it.
03
More than one thing at once. Claude in one window, your logs in another, a second agent in a third. Switch between them in a tap.
04
Your laptop and phone can both be attached. RETRO TMUX uses its own view, so your desktop layout isn't touched.
// Setup · about 5 minutes //
How To Use Claude Code On Your iPhone
You need a machine that stays on (a small cloud server, a homelab box, or a Mac with Remote Login on), tmux 3.0 or newer on it, and Claude Code installed there.
-
01
Start Claude Code inside tmux
On your server, open a named tmux session and start Claude Code in it. The session is what survives when you walk away.
$ tmux new -s agents $ claude
Signing in on a server with no browser? Run
/loginin Claude Code and tap the link it prints: RETRO TMUX opens it in Safari, where you sign in with your Claude subscription. No laptop needed.Already running Claude outside tmux? Start the next task inside one. tmux can't adopt a process that's already running.
$ tmux new -s agents╭──────────────────────────────╮
│ ✻ Welcome to Claude Code │
╰──────────────────────────────╯> refactor the auth module and add tests● Reading src/auth/session.ts…● Writing tests/auth.test.ts… -
02
Add your server in RETRO TMUX
Tap + ADD HOST, enter your server's address, then generate an Ed25519 key right on the phone. Install it with your password once, and use the key from then on. TEST SSH checks everything before you save, with a Key → Server → Test walkthrough and a copy-paste install command.
Keys and passwords stay in the iPhone Keychain, and Face ID locks the whole app. No account, and your SSH session goes straight to your server.
-
03
Attach to the session
Open your server and tap agents. If the session has several windows, pick one: RETRO TMUX marks the window where Claude Code runs. History arrives exactly, line by line, including everything Claude printed before you attached.
-
04
You're in. Type to Claude
That's Claude Code, live, on your phone. The key row gives you Esc, Tab, Ctrl, a ^C that actually interrupts Claude, and arrows. Scroll its output with your finger, tap links to open them.
-
05
Turn on agent status
One switch installs small, reversible hook scripts on the server that report what Claude is doing. From then on the session list says working, needs you, done or idle, with your Claude usage as a percentage.
-
06
Detach and go outside
Leave the session, lock the phone, lose signal. Detaching never kills anything; Claude keeps working on the server. Come back in an hour, from your phone, iPad or laptop, and it's all still there.
# back at your desk, same session: $ tmux attach -t agents
// Know when it needs you //
Stop Checking On Claude Every Ten Minutes
The worst part of Claude Code remote work is not knowing whether it's done, stuck, or politely waiting for a yes. RETRO TMUX pings your phone the moment Claude needs you, and tells you the rest from the session list.
>>> SESSIONS203.0.113.7
CLAUDE USAGE 42%read 2m ago
- A push when Claude needs you, with Approve and Deny right on the notification. App closed, phone locked, still works.
- Status in the session list and in the terminal tabs.
- Claude usage, 5-hour and weekly, with how old the reading is.
- Also works for Codex and Hermes sessions.
- Server rebooted? Claude's session comes back and it carries on with the task.
- Claude in your Dynamic Island, one live card per agent window, and Reply with a typed answer without unlocking.
// Why a real terminal //
Claude Code Is A Terminal App. Treat It Like One
No Squeezed Layout
Never fewer than 80 columns, which Claude Code's interface needs to draw itself properly. The keyboard only borrows rows and gives them back; the width never changes.
Scroll Its Output
Finger scrolling works inside Claude Code, and tapping a link lets you open or copy it. Select any text with drag handles.
Your Laptop Stays Put
The phone attaches through its own view session and restores window sizes and layout when it leaves. Your desktop tmux never notices.
Survives Bad Signal
Dropped link? It reconnects with every line of history intact, and without replaying what you typed. The session never went anywhere.
Show It A Screenshot
Tap UPLOAD, pick a screenshot from Photos (or just paste one), and its server path lands at the cursor, quoted. Then tell Claude to look at it.
‹HOST: VPSSESSION: agentsW0 claude
agentsapilogs
$ claude
> refactor the auth module and add tests
● Planning changes…
$ tail -f /var/log/app.log
14:02:01 server started on :8080
14:02:03 GET /api/health 200 2ms
[agents] 0:claude* 1:logs"vps" 14:02
> Codex on your iPhone → · SSH from your iPhone → · SSH & tmux on iPad →
// Your options //
Claude Code Mobile: Three Ways To Run It
There's more than one Claude Code remote setup. Honest version: which one fits depends on where your code lives and how you sign in to Claude.
| Claude app (Code tab) | Any SSH app + tmux | RETRO TMUX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where Claude runs | Anthropic cloud, or your computer via Remote Control | Your server | Your server |
| Sign-in | claude.ai account required | Anything, incl. API key or Bedrock | Your Claude plan (tap the login link), an API key or Bedrock |
| The real terminal | No, a chat view | Yes | Yes, with a keyboard built for it |
| Knows when Claude needs you | Yes | No, you attach and look | Yes: working / needs you / done / idle |
| Codex & Hermes too | No | Yes, manually | Yes, with status |
| Our account or cloud | Anthropic's | Depends on the app | None. Keys stay in your Keychain |
If you only use Claude Code with a claude.ai subscription and don't need the terminal, the official Claude app may be all you need. We won't be offended. Much.
// FAQ //
Claude Code On iPhone, Answered
Is there a Claude Code mobile app?
Not a separate one. Anthropic's Claude app has a Code tab for cloud sessions and for Remote Control of a session on your computer (it needs a claude.ai account). If you want the real Claude Code terminal on your phone, run Claude Code in tmux on a server and attach with a tmux client like RETRO TMUX.
How do I use Claude Code remotely?
Run it somewhere that stays on, inside tmux: tmux new -s agents, then claude. From then on you can attach from any device over SSH (your iPhone, iPad or another laptop) and pick up exactly where Claude is, because the session never stops when you disconnect.
Can I use Claude Code on my iPhone?
Yes. Claude Code keeps running on your server inside tmux, and your iPhone attaches to it over SSH. RETRO TMUX is a tmux client built for exactly that, with a keyboard that has a real Ctrl, Esc and arrows.
Does my computer have to stay on?
The machine running Claude Code has to stay on and reachable over SSH. A small cloud server or a home server works best, because it never sleeps.
What if the server reboots?
Claude comes back. After a reboot, RETRO TMUX brings the session back, restarts Claude Code in it and tells it to pick up the task where it stopped. Automatically, without opening the app.
Does it work with my Claude subscription, an API key or Bedrock?
Yes, all three. To use your Claude subscription on a server, run /login in Claude Code and tap the sign-in link it prints: RETRO TMUX opens it in Safari, so you don't need a laptop. API keys and Bedrock work too, because RETRO TMUX just attaches to the terminal Claude runs in. Anthropic's own mobile options (cloud sessions and Remote Control) need a claude.ai account.
Will Claude Code stop when my phone locks?
No. It runs on your server inside tmux. Locking the phone, losing signal or closing the app only detaches; the session keeps going.
Will I get a notification when Claude needs me?
Yes. When Claude asks for permission, RETRO TMUX sends a push to your phone with Approve and Deny right on the notification, even with the app closed and the phone locked. Your answer reaches Claude within seconds. Claude's live status also shows in the Dynamic Island, one live card per agent window, and you can Reply with a typed answer without unlocking.
Does it work on iPad?
Yes, it's one app for iPhone and iPad. On iPad, tmux panes sit side by side, so you can watch Claude Code in one pane and your logs in another. And on the Mac there's a native app, on the same subscription.
>>> READY WHEN YOU ARE
claude --from-bed
RETRO TMUX is in beta. Join, and we'll tell you when there's a build to break.
+ JOIN THE BETAMore: what RETRO TMUX does · general FAQ