Claude Code on Your Phone: iOS & Android
Use the Claude app for iOS or Android to start cloud sessions, steer your computer remotely, or dispatch tasks — no extra app needed, it's all in the Code tab.
Evgenii Arsentev · PhDReviewed for accuracy by Evgenii Arsentev, PhD · 2026-10-14
Claude Code doesn't have its own separate mobile app. It lives inside the Claude app for iOS and Android — the same app you might already use for regular chat. Open the Code tab and you have three ways to work: start a cloud session where the code runs on Anthropic's servers, continue a session running on your own computer via Remote Control, or send a task to Dispatch which runs it through the Desktop app on your machine.
I'm Evgeny. I started using Claude from my phone mostly to check on long-running tasks — then found myself starting new tasks during commutes and reviewing finished work on the couch. The experience is better than you'd expect from a full coding tool.
Install the Claude app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Open the Code tab inside the app and sign in with the same claude.ai account you use on your computer. If you don't see the Code tab, your subscription plan may not include it yet.
Three ways to work from your phone
All three live in the Code tab. The difference is where the code actually runs.
Pick your mode
- 1Cloud sessions — Claude runs on Anthropic's servers. Your repository lives on GitHub and the task keeps going after you lock your phone. Best for: handing off a task and walking away.
- 2Remote Control — Claude runs on your own computer while you drive it from your phone. Best for: accessing local files, private tools, and MCP servers. Your computer must stay on.
- 3Dispatch — you send a task as a message in the app, and Dispatch runs it through the Desktop app on your machine. Requires a Pro or Max plan and a computer that stays on.
Cloud sessions: code keeps running after you lock the screen
A cloud session runs entirely on Anthropic's infrastructure — no computer required. Tap + in the Code tab, connect a GitHub repository, describe the task, and send it. The session continues after you put your phone in your pocket, and it's waiting for you when you pick it up again. You can check progress, answer Claude's questions, or steer it differently — from anywhere, on any device.
Cloud sessions require a claude.ai account. They don't work with a raw Anthropic API key or accounts on third-party providers like Amazon Bedrock. If you use those, Remote Control is your path to mobile access.
Code tab → + → pick a GitHub repo → describe your task → send
The session runs on Anthropic's servers and survives a locked screen or closed app. Return any time to check progress or answer questions. A task you start on your laptop shows up in the app on your phone, and vice versa — sessions sync across devices automatically.
Remote Control: steer your computer from anywhere
Remote Control connects the Claude app to a Claude Code session already running on your machine. Code stays local — with access to your filesystem, your tools, and your MCP servers — while you control it from your phone. To start: open a terminal on your computer and run `claude remote-control`, or type `/remote-control` in an open session. The Claude app will see your session in the Code tab within a few seconds.
claude remote-control
Run this in your terminal, or type /remote-control inside an open session. Your machine needs to stay on and online. From the Code tab in the Claude app, tap your session to connect — or scan the QR code the terminal can display.
Push notifications: know the moment Claude finishes
When Remote Control is active, Claude can push a notification to your phone when a long task finishes or when it needs a decision. You can also ask for one directly in your prompt — "notify me when the tests pass" works exactly as written. Dispatch sends its own notification when the session it spawned finishes or needs your approval.
Send a photo or file from your phone
Tap the attachment button in the app to add an image or file from your phone. Claude sees a photo straight away as part of your message and keeps a saved copy on your machine; any other file gets downloaded first and passed in as a file reference. Useful for sending a screenshot of a bug, a mockup you photographed, or a document you received on your phone.
What doesn't work from the app
Terminal-only commands — /plugin, /resume — don't work from the mobile app. You can't select Bypass permissions for a cloud or Remote Control session from mobile, though Manual, Accept edits, Plan, and Auto all work. Dispatch requires a Pro or Max plan and isn't available on Team or Enterprise. Outside of those three, permission approvals, file attachments, and steering sessions all work the same way as the terminal.
Lab: your first session from a phone
0/5The thing that changed my habits: cloud sessions mean I can delegate a refactoring task from my phone during lunch, lock the screen, and come back to a finished pull request — without my laptop being open the whole time. Once you experience that, working from your phone stops feeling like a workaround and starts feeling like how it was supposed to work.
Free course
Stop reading about AI — start building with it
The free Claude Code course: your first site, tool or game — no coding. No upsells, no cross-sells — nothing to buy here.
Start free →Author
Evgenii Arsentev
PhD · Chief Executive Officer, digital health
Reading is a good start
Want to actually build this?
Guides explain. The free course transforms — personalized, gamified, and built to get you shipping fast.
Start the free course →