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Ways to use AI coding agents from your phone (October 2026)

A common complaint (example on X): you open the Claude app on your phone, want to start a Claude Code session, and you can't, because you don't have a repository connected. Anthropic's official answer for driving Claude Code from a phone, Remote Control, needs a computer that stays on.

This guide compares the real options as of October 21, 2026. For each one we cover how it works, whether it needs a repo or a running computer, what it costs, its limits, and a link to the official docs. Every claim comes from the vendor's own docs or pricing pages, read on the date above. We have not tested these products hands-on. Prices and plans change often, so check the linked page before you pay.

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TL;DR comparison

| Option | Where the code runs | Needs a repo? | Needs your computer on? | Entry price (official) | Phone client | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Claude Code Remote Control | Your own machine | No (any directory) | Yes | Claude Pro, $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually) | Claude app (iOS/Android), browser | | Claude Code cloud sessions (web/mobile) | Anthropic-managed VM | Yes, a GitHub repo (an empty one works) | No | Claude Pro, $20/mo | Claude app "Code" tab, claude.ai/code | | Claude Dispatch | Your machine (Desktop app) | Unverified | Yes | Pro or Max | Claude app | | Cursor Cloud Agents | Cursor-managed VM | No, thanks to "Start from scratch" | No | Paid plan, plus API-rate model billing | Cursor iOS app; cursor.com/agents PWA on Android | | OpenAI Codex Cloud | OpenAI cloud environment | Yes, GitHub repos | No | ChatGPT Plus, $20/mo | ChatGPT mobile app (Codex) | | GitHub Copilot cloud agent | GitHub cloud dev environment | Yes, a GitHub-hosted repo | No | Copilot Pro, $10/mo | GitHub Mobile, github.com | | SSH + tmux to a VPS (Termius, Blink) | Your VPS | No | No (the VPS stays on) | Termius free tier; VPS cost varies | Termius (iOS/Android), Blink (iOS) |

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1. Claude Code Remote Control

How it works. You run `claude remote-control` (server mode), `claude --remote-control`, or `/remote-control` inside an existing session on your computer. Claude Code prints a session URL and, in server mode, a QR code (press space). You open that URL on your phone in the Claude app or a browser. All execution and file access stay on your machine; the phone is only a window into the session. Docs

• Repo needed? No. It runs in whatever directory you start it in. The `worktree` spawn mode does need a git repo.
• Computer needed? Yes. In the docs' words: "your computer has to stay on and the `claude` process has to keep running." If you run it on a remote machine over SSH, the docs suggest `tmux` or `screen` so the session survives disconnects.
• Cost. Available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. API keys are not supported. On Team and Enterprise, an Owner must first turn it on.
• Limits (from the docs).
• - Outside server mode, each process has one remote session. Server mode defaults to 32 concurrent sessions.
• - In server mode, a network outage longer than roughly 10 minutes makes the process exit.
• - It isn't available on Bedrock, Google Cloud, Foundry, or behind a custom `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` gateway.
• - It isn't available to orgs with Zero Data Retention or the HIPAA configuration.
• - Some commands (for example `/plugin` and `/resume`) work only in the local CLI.
• Nice extras. Push notifications to your phone when a task finishes or needs a decision (turn them on in `/config`). You can also attach photos and files from your phone.

Key insight: your "computer" doesn't have to be a laptop. Running Remote Control on an always-on VPS inside tmux removes the need to keep your laptop on. That's a setup the docs allow, but we haven't tested it.

2. Claude Code cloud sessions (Claude Code on the web / in the mobile app)

How it works. In the Claude app's Code tab, or at claude.ai/code, you pick a repository and branch, describe the task, and submit it. The session runs in an isolated, Anthropic-managed VM and keeps running after you close the app. You can review the diff, then open a PR or teleport the session to your terminal later. Docs · Quickstart · Mobile

• Repo needed? Yes, and this is why the X user got stuck. The quickstart says: "You'll need a GitHub repository to get started", and "Cloud sessions work with existing GitHub repositories. To start a new project, create an empty repository on GitHub first." A desktop CLI can upload (bundle) a non-GitHub local repo with `claude --cloud`, but that needs a computer.
• Computer needed? No.
• Cost. Pro, Max and Team plans, plus Enterprise premium or Chat + Claude Code seats. Cloud sessions count toward your plan's usage limits, and there's "no separate charge for the cloud VM." Pro is $20/mo, or $17/mo billed annually. Max starts at $100/mo. (pricing)
• Limits.
• - Sessions share rate limits with all your other Claude usage.
• - Cloning and PR creation require GitHub. A GitLab or Bitbucket repo can be uploaded as a bundle, but the session can't push back to it.
• - Idle sessions expire and their VM is reclaimed. The conversation is restored when you reopen the session; background work is not.
• - Not available with ZDR, HIPAA or CMEK orgs.

3. Claude Dispatch

Anthropic's docs list Dispatch as "Message a task from the Claude mobile app". Claude then works on your machine (the Desktop app), after you pair the mobile app with Desktop. It requires a Pro or Max plan. Your computer has to be on with the Desktop app running. Docs

*Unverified:* whether Dispatch needs a repo. We didn't find this stated.

4. Cursor Cloud Agents (formerly Background Agents)

How it works. Cloud agents run in isolated cloud VMs with full dev environments. You can start them from the Cursor iOS app, from cursor.com/agents on any device (on Android, install it as a PWA from Chrome), from Slack, from GitHub/Bitbucket `@cursor` comments, from Linear, or via the API. Docs

• Repo needed? No. The docs say: "You can start a cloud agent without a repository or a connected source control provider. Select Start from scratch…" Cursor then creates a draft Origin repository in the background, and you can save it with Create repo. This needs a paid plan and Origin. Setup docs
• Computer needed? No. Per the docs, agents "do not require your local machine to be connected to the internet."
• Cost.
• - Cloud agents "are charged at API pricing for the selected model," and you set a spend limit when you first use them.
• - On the current pricing page, cloud agents & automations start at the Premium tier, $30/mo. Third-party models are billed separately at API list price.
• - The pricing page also lists Free ($0) and Plus ($8/mo, Grok models only), and neither includes cloud agents.
• Limits. You need a paid plan. To use a repo, an account admin must connect GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure DevOps, and you need read-write access to it.

5. OpenAI Codex Cloud (ChatGPT app)

How it works. You open ChatGPT on the web, mobile or desktop, then open Codex and choose an environment. Codex inspects your GitHub repositories, installs dependencies, and runs tasks in its own workspace "while your computer is asleep." Docs

• Repo needed? Yes. You "choose your GitHub repositories" when you create an environment.
• Phone caveat. New environments must be created on the web or desktop app. On mobile you can select an existing environment.
• Computer needed? No.
• Cost.
• - Pricing lists Codex on the web, CLI, IDE and iOS starting with Plus ($20/mo). Pro plans cost $100, $200 or $500/mo.
• - Free ($0) and Go ($8/mo) list only desktop-app access.
• - Cloud features are not available with an API key.
• Limits.
• - Local messages and cloud tasks share your plan's allowance, and the docs say "cloud tasks may use more of your allowance than local messages."
• - Weekly limits may also apply.
• - The feature table also lists "Mobile remote control". We did not find details on how it works, so treat it as *Unverified*.

6. GitHub Copilot cloud agent (GitHub Mobile / github.com)

How it works. You assign an issue or a prompt to Copilot. It researches the repo, plans, edits and runs tests in an ephemeral cloud environment, then pushes a branch and can open a PR. Docs

• Repo needed? Yes. It "only works with repositories hosted on GitHub" and works in one repo per task.
• Computer needed? No. Separately, GitHub's own "remote control" for the Copilot CLI does require your machine to stay online.
• Cost.
• - Plans page: Free $0, Pro $10/mo, Pro+ $39/mo, Max $100/mo.
• - "Assign work to Copilot and it creates a pull request" is shown as included from Pro.
• - Usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits, at 1 credit = $0.01.
• - The plans page lists GitHub Mobile as a supported environment.
• Limits.
• - 59-minute maximum per session, which can't be extended.
• - One branch and one PR per task.
• - Repo rulesets can block the agent.

7. SSH from your phone + tmux on a VPS (DIY)

How it works. You rent a small Linux server and install a CLI agent on it, such as Claude Code (`curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash`, setup docs), Codex CLI or Copilot CLI. You run it inside `tmux` and connect from your phone with an SSH client.

• Termius has a free Starter tier with SSH, SFTP and port forwarding. Pro is $10/mo billed annually and adds cross-device sync. It lists Mosh support and apps for iOS and Android.
• Blink Shell is an iOS/iPadOS terminal with Mosh and SSH. *Unverified:* its current price; we couldn't read it from the official site.

Trade-offs. - Repo needed? No. It's a normal Linux box: `mkdir` a folder and go. - Computer needed? Not your laptop, but the VPS has to stay on. - What you pay. A VPS (provider pricing varies), plus whichever agent plan you use. - Downsides. You manage the server, its security and its keys, and a phone keyboard in a terminal is clunky. You can combine this with option 1: start `claude remote-control` on the VPS inside tmux and use the Claude app's nicer UI.

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Which one should you pick?

• "I just want to start coding from my phone with no repo and no computer." Use Cursor Cloud Agents → Start from scratch. It's the only managed option whose docs explicitly support starting with no repository. It needs a paid plan, with models billed at API rates.
• "I'm on Claude Pro/Max and have no repo." Create an empty GitHub repo (you can do this in a phone browser), connect it in the Claude app's Code tab, and start a cloud session. That's Anthropic's own documented workaround.
• "My work lives on my laptop: local files, MCP servers, tools." Use Remote Control, and accept that the laptop must stay on.
• "I want that, but without leaving my laptop on." Use a VPS + tmux, either running the CLI directly over SSH (Termius/Blink) or running `claude remote-control` on the VPS.
• "My team already lives in GitHub issues." Use the Copilot cloud agent from GitHub Mobile. It's the cheapest entry at $10/mo, but each session is capped at 59 minutes.
• "I already pay for ChatGPT Plus." Use Codex Cloud, but set up the environment on web or desktop first; mobile can only pick an existing one.

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No-repo quick start (from a phone only)

Option A: Claude Code (Pro or higher) 1. In your phone's browser, go to https://github.com/new and create an empty repository. Checking "Add a README" gives it a first commit. *(We haven't verified that a completely empty repo with zero commits works.)* 2. Open the Claude app, tap Code, and connect GitHub when prompted. For a private repo, install the Claude GitHub App on it. 3. Pick the new repo and describe what to build, e.g. "Create a small Python CLI that…". Claude pushes a branch you can review or turn into a PR.

Option B: Cursor (paid plan) 1. Open the Cursor iOS app, or cursor.com/agents (on Android, install it as a PWA from Chrome). 2. In the repository picker choose Start from scratch and send your prompt. 3. When you're happy, tap Create repo to save it as an Origin repository.

Option C: DIY 1. Get a Linux VPS and SSH in with Termius. 2. Run `tmux new -s code`, install the agent CLI, then `mkdir myproject && cd myproject`, and run it. 3. Detach with `Ctrl-b d`, reconnect later with `tmux attach -t code`.

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Sources (all fetched October 21, 2026)

- Claude Code Remote Control: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/remote-control - Claude Code cloud sessions: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-code-on-the-web - Claude Code cloud quickstart: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/web-quickstart - Claude Code on mobile: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mobile - Claude pricing: https://claude.com/pricing - Cursor Cloud Agents: https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent - Cursor Cloud Agents setup (Start from scratch): https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/setup - Cursor pricing: https://cursor.com/pricing - OpenAI Codex Cloud: https://developers.openai.com/codex/cloud - OpenAI Codex pricing: https://developers.openai.com/codex/pricing - GitHub Copilot on GitHub.com / cloud agent: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/coding-agent/about-coding-agent - GitHub Copilot plans: https://github.com/features/copilot/plans - Termius pricing: https://termius.com/pricing - Blink Shell: https://blink.sh

*Disclosure: StackLoom AI has not tested these tools hands-on for this guide. Everything above comes from official documentation and pricing pages.*