>>> Claude Code on iPhone & iPad Claude Code, On Your iPhone. From Your Bed Or On The Go

Q: 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.

Q: Will I get a notification when Claude needs me?

Not yet. Today you see 'needs you' in the session list and in the session tabs. Lock-screen notifications with Approve and Deny buttons are on the roadmap.

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.

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tl;dr.txt— less —[ 1/1 ]

$ 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, same screen
You switch to your phoneAttach, pick up mid-sentence
You come back after lunchEvery line still there

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.

Nothing dies with the connection. Detaching is not quitting. The session runs until you kill it.

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.

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
```
Already running Claude outside tmux? Start the next task inside one. tmux can't adopt a process that's already running.
you@server: ~

$ 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…

[agents] 0:claude*"server" 14:02
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. No account, no cloud of ours in the middle.
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 tells you from the session list.

>>> SESSIONS203.0.113.7

CLAUDE USAGE 42%read 2m ago

Status in the session list and in the terminal tabs.
Claude usage as a percentage, with how old the reading is.
Also works for Codex and Hermes sessions.
Coming soon: a lock-screen notification with Approve and Deny.

// Why a real terminal //

Claude Code Is A Terminal App. Treat It Like One

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.

No Squeezed Layout

Never fewer than 80 columns, and the keyboard never resizes the grid, so Claude's interface doesn't re-draw itself every time you type.

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 without replaying what you typed. The session never went anywhere.

iPad Too

On iPad, panes sit side by side exactly like tmux lays them out: Claude in one, logs in the other.

‹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

On iPad: Claude in one pane, your logs in the other. Illustration; real screenshot coming.

> More on 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	Anything, incl. 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.

Does it work with an API key or Amazon Bedrock?

Yes. RETRO TMUX doesn't care how Claude Code is signed in; it just attaches to the terminal it 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?

Not yet. Today you see "needs you" in the session list and in the session tabs. Lock-screen notifications with Approve and Deny buttons are on the roadmap.

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.

>>> READY WHEN YOU ARE

claude --from-bed

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More: what RETRO TMUX does · general FAQ