shellxClaude Code Remote Control vs ShellX: control AI coding agents from your phone
Short answer: if you only use Claude Code, have a Claude Pro or Max plan, and are happy approving each action in the Claude app, Anthropic’s built-in Remote Control is the simplest choice. If you also run Codex, Gemini CLI, Aider, builds, tests or tmux sessions, want one app for every terminal session, or use an API key / Team plan, use ShellX — it mirrors the real terminal, not just the Claude conversation.
You can use both: they don’t conflict.
What each one is
Claude Code Remote Control (launched February 2026 as a research preview) lets you start claude remote-control (or /rc inside a session) and continue that Claude Code session from the Claude app on iOS/Android or from claude.ai/code. The session still runs on your computer; messages are routed through Anthropic’s API.
ShellX is a free, open-source terminal for macOS and Windows plus a phone app. The phone shows the terminal sessions already running on your computer — Claude Code, any other CLI agent, a dev server, a long build — end-to-end encrypted with the Noise protocol, with no open ports and no VPN.
Side-by-side
| Claude Code Remote Control | ShellX | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see on the phone | The Claude Code conversation | The full terminal session (any program) |
| Works with Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Aider, OpenCode… | No — Claude Code only | Yes — anything that runs in a terminal |
| Works with plain shells, tmux, SSH, builds, tests | No | Yes |
| Account / plan | Claude Pro or Max at launch; API keys not supported at launch | Free, no Claude plan needed |
| What can notify you on the phone | Claude Code only | Any session: agent waiting, command finished, build failed |
| Network | Outbound HTTPS, no inbound ports | Outbound only, no inbound ports, works behind CGNAT |
| Encryption | TLS to Anthropic | End-to-end (Noise); relay can’t read content |
| Multiple sessions on one phone | One remote session per Claude Code instance | Many sessions, switch between them |
| Open source | No | Yes (GPL-3.0) — github.com/lephus/shellx |
| Desktop OS | Wherever Claude Code runs | macOS, Windows |
Remote Control details are from Anthropic’s launch (Feb 2026) and may have changed — check Anthropic’s docs for the current plan list.
When Remote Control is the better pick
- You use Claude Code and nothing else in the terminal.
- You like Claude’s mobile UI for reading diffs and chatting with the agent.
- You don’t want to install another desktop app.
When ShellX is the better pick
- You run more than one agent. Claude Code in one pane, Codex or Gemini CLI in another, a test watcher in a third — ShellX shows all of them.
- You need the raw terminal. Interactive prompts, TUI programs,
git rebase -i,htop, a REPL — Remote Control shows the conversation, ShellX shows the screen. - You’re on an API key, Team or Enterprise plan and Remote Control isn’t available to you.
- You want a notification for anything, not only the agent: “build finished”, “tests failed”, “deploy waiting for confirmation”.
- You care about end-to-end encryption and an auditable, open-source relay.
Using Claude Code with ShellX in 3 steps
- Install ShellX on your Mac or Windows PC and the phone app — download.
- Scan the QR code to pair your phone.
- Run
claudein a ShellX tab and walk away. Keep the computer awake; open the session on your phone whenever ShellX notifies you.
Full walkthrough: How to use Claude Code on your phone.
FAQ
Is ShellX an official Anthropic product? No. ShellX is an independent open-source project. It works with Claude Code the same way it works with any terminal program.
Can I use Remote Control and ShellX together? Yes. Run Claude Code inside a ShellX tab and also enable /rc if you want — they don’t interfere.
Does ShellX send my code to a server? Terminal frames go through the ShellX relay end-to-end encrypted; the relay cannot read them. Your code stays on your computer.
Does my computer need to stay on? Yes, for both tools. The agent runs on your computer; the phone is a remote screen and keyboard.
Does ShellX work for Codex CLI or Gemini CLI on my phone? Yes — see Run any AI coding agent from your phone.