Anthropic officially launched Remote Control, a breakthrough feature for Claude Code that allows you to manage and steer local terminal tasks directly from your smartphone or any web browser.
This feature is designed to bridge the gap between fixed-workstation power and mobile flexibility, enabling you to start a complex coding job at your desk and monitor it while on the move.
How “Remote Control” Works
Unlike traditional cloud-based coding, Remote Control uses a “Local-First” architecture. Your code, file system, and terminal environment stay on your machine.
- The Bridge: Anthropic creates a secure, end-to-end encrypted “tunnel” (outbound HTTPS only) between your terminal and the Claude app.
- The Window: Your phone acts as a remote window into the session. You can see what Claude is doing in real-time, approve or reject file changes, and send new instructions.
- Persistence: If your laptop goes to sleep or you lose cell service on a train, the session automatically reconnects once you’re back online.
Setup Guide: How to Enable It
To use this feature, ensure you are running Claude Code version 2.1.52 or later.
- Start a Session: In your project directory, run:
claude remote-control(orclaude rcfor short).
- Toggle the QR Code: Once the session starts, press the spacebar in your terminal to display a QR code.
- Scan and Connect: Open the Claude app on your iPhone or Android and scan the code.
- Auto-Enable: If you want every session to be remotely accessible by default, run
/configinside Claude Code and set “Enable Remote Control for all sessions” to true.
Strategic Use Cases
| Scenario | How it Helps |
| Long Refactors | Start a 50-file refactoring job at 5 PM; monitor and approve the final diffs from your phone during your commute. |
| Meeting Fixes | If a bug is reported while you’re in a meeting, send a fix instruction to your workstation via your phone without leaving the room. |
| CI/CD Monitoring | Run your local test suite and get a push notification on your phone when it completes or fails. |
Subscription & Availability
- Plan Required: Currently available as a Research Preview for Claude Max ($100–$200/month) subscribers. Support for the Pro ($20/month) plan is expected to roll out in the coming weeks.
- Security: Anthropic emphasizes that no code moves to the cloud. Because the connection is outbound-only, you don’t need to open any inbound ports or mess with firewall settings.
- Limitation: Only one remote session can be active per machine at a time.
Privacy Note: Treat your session URL like a password. Anyone with the link can potentially control your terminal. The links are short-lived and expire once the session is terminated.
