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Short answer: Anthropic’s Claude Code Remote Control lets you continue and supervise a Claude Code session from the Claude mobile app or claude.ai/code in a browser. It is not a standalone mobile version of Claude Code and does not move your development environment into the cloud: Claude Code, your files, tools, MCP servers, and project configuration remain on your computer while the remote interface communicates with that local session.
Remote Control is useful when a local coding task takes several minutes—or much longer—to run. You can start a refactor, test suite, build, or debugging task at your desk, then check its progress, answer questions, and provide approvals from your phone.
There is an important qualification, however. Your computer must keep Claude Code running. Remote Control is a control layer for an active local Claude Code process, not a mobile IDE, a cloud-hosted coding workspace, or an offline phone-to-PC connection.
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What Anthropic released
The claude remote-control subcommand first appeared in Claude Code version 2.1.51. Anthropic’s Claude Code changelog shows that Remote Control has continued to receive fixes and support changes, so it should be treated as an evolving feature rather than a single mobile-app launch.
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Anthropic’s official Remote Control documentation currently labels the feature a research preview. The documented plan availability is Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise. Team and Enterprise administrators must enable the Remote Control setting before members can use it.
How Remote Control works
A typical connection has three parts:
- Claude Code runs locally. The terminal or VS Code process on your computer remains the execution environment.
- Remote Control exposes that session. Claude Code creates a remote-accessible session and provides a URL or QR code, depending on the workflow.
- A browser or phone becomes the interface. You use
claude.ai/codeor the Claude app for iOS or Android to send messages and follow the session.
Your local project files, installed tools, MCP servers, and project configuration stay associated with the computer where Claude Code is running. Remote Control does not create a second copy of the project in Anthropic-managed cloud infrastructure.
That does not mean the connection is offline or that no information travels through the cloud. Remote messages and relevant session traffic are relayed through Anthropic’s infrastructure. Remote Control is therefore best described as a secure remote interface to a local process—not as direct peer-to-peer phone access and not as a completely local connection.
Requirements and account eligibility
- Claude Code 2.1.51 or later. Earlier versions do not support Remote Control.
- A supported Claude plan. Anthropic lists Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise.
- Claude.ai authentication. You must sign in through the Claude.ai authentication flow. API-key authentication is not supported for Remote Control.
- Administrator approval for some workspaces. Team and Enterprise administrators must turn on the Remote Control setting.
- Workspace trust. Accept workspace trust at least once in the project directory before attempting to use the feature.
- A continuously running local process. Your computer, terminal, or VS Code session must remain available for the duration of the remote session.
Remote Control is also incompatible with several third-party-provider or API-key authentication paths, including Bedrock, Vertex, and Foundry configurations, according to Anthropic’s documentation. This is separate from other ways an organization might deploy or use Claude Code with cloud infrastructure.
Three ways to start Remote Control
Use the method that matches how you work. All three methods require a local Claude Code installation and a supported Claude.ai sign-in.
1. Start server mode
Open a terminal in the relevant environment and run:
claude remote-controlThis starts Remote Control server mode and waits for remote connections. The server can display a session URL and a QR code that you can open in a browser or scan with the Claude mobile app.
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Server mode is the most useful option when you want a persistent entry point for remote work or need to manage more than one session. The documented server-mode controls include named sessions, worktree spawning, session-capacity controls, verbose logs, and optional sandboxing. Its documented default capacity is 32 concurrent sessions.
2. Start an interactive session that is remotely controllable
Start Claude Code with either of these equivalent forms:
claude --remote-control
claude --rcThis opens an interactive local session while also making it available for remote control. It is a convenient choice when you want to begin in the terminal and then move to your phone or browser without separately starting server mode.
3. Expose an existing session
If Claude Code is already running, enter one of these commands in that session:
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/rcThe existing conversation history carries over when the session becomes remotely available. This is useful when you have already supplied context, inspected files, or started a task locally.
VS Code support
The Claude Code VS Code extension also supports /remote-control and /rc. Anthropic’s documentation says this requires Claude Code version 2.1.79 or later. The VS Code application must remain open because closing it stops the local process that Remote Control depends on.
How to connect from a phone or browser
- Start Remote Control using one of the commands above.
- Use the displayed session URL in a browser, or scan the displayed QR code with the Claude mobile app.
- Alternatively, open the Claude app and go to its Code section to find available remote sessions.
- Select the session and confirm that it is online. Remote sessions are identified in the session list with a computer icon and an online-status indicator.
The terminal, browser, and phone can remain synchronized. You can begin a conversation in the terminal, continue it in claude.ai/code, and check it from the mobile app without creating a separate conversation from scratch.
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Push notifications
The Claude mobile app can send push notifications when Claude decides that your attention is needed. To use them, install the mobile app, allow its notifications in the phone’s operating-system settings, and enable the Push when Claude decides option in Claude Code’s configuration.
Anthropic’s documentation says push notifications require Claude Code version 2.1.110 or later. Without notifications, the remote session can still be opened manually, but you may not know immediately that a task has finished or is waiting for input.
Remote Control versus Claude Code on the web
These features can look similar because both let you interact with Claude Code away from a terminal, but their execution environments are different.
| Area | Remote Control | Claude Code on the web |
|---|---|---|
| Where Claude Code runs | Your computer | Anthropic-managed cloud infrastructure |
| Project files and local configuration | Uses the local environment, files, tools, MCP servers, and project configuration | Uses the web environment provided by the service |
| Computer required | Yes; the local process must remain running | No local Claude Code process is required for the cloud session |
| Best fit | Continuing work already configured on your computer | Starting work in a cloud-based environment when you do not need the local machine |
| Authentication | Claude.ai sign-in; API-key authentication is not supported | Use the authentication and availability rules for the web product |
Choose Remote Control when access to your exact local environment matters—for example, a private repository already checked out on your workstation, local MCP servers, project-specific tools, or a build that depends on your machine. Choose Claude Code on the web when you want Anthropic’s cloud environment and do not want to leave a computer running.
Security and data flow
Remote Control is designed to avoid exposing an inbound port on your computer. Anthropic says the local process makes outbound HTTPS requests, while the connection is relayed through the Anthropic API over TLS. The documentation also describes multiple short-lived credentials scoped to individual purposes.
That architecture has two practical implications:
- You generally do not need to configure port forwarding. Remote Control is not asking your router to expose a terminal directly to the public internet.
- It is not an offline feature. The remote client and local process depend on network communication with Anthropic’s infrastructure, and remote messages or tool results can pass through that relay.
For sensitive repositories, review the feature against your organization’s security, data-retention, workspace, and administrator policies before enabling it. The research-preview status also matters for teams that require production-stable tooling or formal change-control approval.
What Remote Control cannot do
The local process cannot be stopped
Closing the terminal, quitting VS Code, shutting down the computer, or otherwise stopping Claude Code ends the Remote Control session. Remote Control cannot wake a powered-off computer or resume a process that has already exited.
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Some commands remain local-only
Commands that depend on interactive terminal pickers are not available from the mobile or web client. Anthropic specifically lists /mcp, /plugin, and /resume among the local-only commands.
Text-oriented commands such as /compact, /clear, /context, /usage, and /exit can be used from a mobile or web client. If a command requires choosing from a terminal UI rather than entering text, switch back to the local terminal.
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Network outages can end a session
An extended network outage can cause the session to time out after roughly ten minutes, according to the documentation. Remote Control is therefore not a guarantee that an unattended task will survive every connectivity problem. Keep important work in version control and design long-running tasks so that they can be checked and restarted safely.
One remote session is supported outside server mode
Outside server mode, one interactive Claude Code process supports one remote session at a time. Server mode is the option to consider when you need multiple sessions, subject to its configured capacity and the resources of the local computer.
Ultraplan can disconnect Remote Control
Starting an ultraplan session disconnects an active Remote Control session because both use the claude.ai/code interface. If a remote session suddenly disappears after switching modes, check whether an ultraplan session was started.
Practical uses
Long-running refactors
Start a well-scoped refactor locally, then use your phone to inspect progress and respond if Claude asks for a decision. The code and project tools remain where the refactor began.
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Remote Control is a good fit for commands that take long enough to make sitting at the terminal inconvenient. You can receive a notification when Claude decides that your attention is needed, inspect the result, and send the next instruction.
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Debugging after reproducing a problem
When the local machine has the right dependencies, environment variables, logs, and repository state, Remote Control lets you continue debugging without rebuilding that setup in a separate cloud workspace.
Approval checkpoints
Tasks that require occasional human approval can be easier to supervise remotely than tasks that require continuous typing. Remote Control does not eliminate the need to review proposed changes or commands; it simply gives you another interface for doing so.
When Remote Control is the wrong tool
- You need a fresh cloud environment. Use Claude Code on the web instead.
- Your computer cannot stay online and running. A local session cannot be controlled after its host process stops.
- You want fully unattended automation. Remote Control is intended for interactive supervision, not as a promise of durable background execution.
- Your organization uses an unsupported authentication path. Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry, and API-key configurations are not the documented Remote Control login route.
- You need frequent terminal-picker interactions. Commands such as
/mcp,/plugin, and/resumestill require the local terminal.
Troubleshooting checklist
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| The command is unavailable | Confirm that Claude Code is version 2.1.51 or later. VS Code users need version 2.1.79 or later for the extension’s Remote Control command. |
| Sign-in or authentication fails | Use Claude.ai authentication rather than an API key. Also check whether the installation is configured for Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry, or another unsupported provider path. |
| A Team or Enterprise user cannot find the feature | Ask the workspace administrator to enable the Remote Control setting. |
| The project will not start remotely | Accept workspace trust at least once in the project directory, then retry. |
| The session went offline | Make sure the terminal or VS Code process is still running, the computer is awake, and the network connection is available. A prolonged outage can time out the session after roughly ten minutes. |
| A command is missing on mobile | Switch to the local terminal for interactive-picker commands such as /mcp, /plugin, and /resume. |
| The remote session disconnected after changing modes | Check whether an ultraplan session was started; it can disconnect an active Remote Control session. |
Bottom line
Claude Code Remote Control is a useful bridge between a developer’s desk and their phone: it lets you monitor and guide a Claude Code process that is still running on your own computer. Its main advantage is preserving your local files, tools, MCP servers, and configuration. Its main limitation is the same fact—you must keep that local computer and Claude Code process running, and the remote interaction still depends on Anthropic’s network relay.
Use claude remote-control for server mode, claude --rc when starting an interactive session, or /rc inside an existing session. Treat the feature as a research preview, verify your plan and authentication path, and use Claude Code on the web when you need a genuinely cloud-hosted environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude Code Remote Control a standalone mobile version of Claude Code?
No. The Claude mobile app and claude.ai/code act as remote interfaces. Claude Code continues running on your computer, where the local files, tools, MCP servers, and project configuration remain available.
Can Remote Control work if my computer is turned off?
No. The terminal or VS Code process must remain running, and the computer must be awake and connected to the network. Closing the process or shutting down the computer ends the session.
Does Remote Control work with an Anthropic API key or Amazon Bedrock?
Not through the documented Remote Control flow. Remote Control requires Claude.ai authentication and does not support API-key authentication. Anthropic also lists Bedrock, Vertex, and Foundry authentication paths as incompatible.
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Use Remote Control when you need the exact local environment on your computer. Use Claude Code on the web when you want an Anthropic-managed cloud environment and do not want to keep a local Claude Code process running.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Remote Control makes a local Claude Code session accessible from your phone or browser; it does not turn Claude Code into a mobile or fully cloud-hosted coding environment. Keep the local process running, use Claude.ai authentication, and choose Claude Code on the web when you need cloud execution instead.
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