shellxDownload

Run Codex CLI, Gemini CLI or Aider from your phone

Published · ShellPro Team

CLI coding agents work best on your own computer: your repo, your toolchain, your secrets, your GPU. The problem is they keep stopping to ask “Allow this command?” — and you’re not at your desk.

ShellX fixes that: the agent keeps running in a terminal on your Mac or Windows PC, and your phone shows the same terminal, end-to-end encrypted, with a push notification when the agent needs you.

Works with: OpenAI Codex CLI, Google Gemini CLI, Claude Code, Aider, OpenCode, Cursor CLI, Goose, Amp — anything that runs in a terminal.

What you need

  • ShellX desktop on macOS or Windows — download
  • The ShellX phone app (iOS / Android)
  • Your agent installed as usual (npm i -g @openai/codex, npm i -g @google/gemini-cli, pip install aider-chat, …)

Step by step

  1. Pair your phone. Open ShellX on the desktop and scan the QR code with the phone app.
  2. Start the agent in a ShellX tab. 
    cd ~/code/my-app
codex        # or: gemini, aider, claude, opencode
  3. Give it a long task, e.g. “migrate the tests to Vitest and fix failures”, then leave.
  4. Get notified. When the agent stops for approval or finishes, ShellX sends a push notification.
  5. Answer from your phone. Open the session, read the diff or the question, type y, a follow-up prompt, or Ctrl-C.

Tip: one pane per agent

Run two agents side by side — e.g. Codex on a refactor and Gemini CLI writing docs — in split panes. The phone app lists every session, so you can jump between them.

Tip: keep the computer awake

The agent runs on your computer. On macOS use caffeinate -dimsu in another tab; on Windows set Sleep: Never while plugged in.

Why not SSH from the phone?

You can — but you’d need an open port or a VPN, and you’d start a new shell, not see the agent that’s already running. ShellX attaches to the existing session, works behind NAT/CGNAT, and needs no server config. More: SSH from your phone without opening ports.

Security

  • End-to-end encrypted with the Noise protocol; the relay forwards encrypted frames only.
  • No inbound connections to your computer.
  • Your repo and secrets stay on your computer; only the terminal screen travels, encrypted.
  • Open source: github.com/lephus/shellx.

FAQ

Can I use Codex CLI on my iPhone? Codex CLI doesn’t run on iOS, but with ShellX it runs on your computer and you control it from your iPhone.

Does Gemini CLI have a mobile app? Not a terminal one. ShellX gives you mobile access to a Gemini CLI session running on your desktop.

Is this different from Claude Code Remote Control? Remote Control only covers Claude Code. ShellX covers every terminal program. See Claude Code Remote Control vs ShellX.

Is ShellX free? Yes, ShellX is currently free.