[DOCS] Desktop app: DISABLE_TELEMETRY blocks Remote Control with a generic "initialization failed", contrary to the docs

Documentation Type

Incorrect/outdated documentation

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/remote-control

Section/Topic

Requirements, and Troubleshooting > "Remote Control requires feature-flag evaluation"

Current Documentation

The Remote Control docs say that with only DISABLE_TELEMETRY or DO_NOT_TRACK set, Remote Control stays available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise from v2.1.283 unless Trusted Devices is required.

What's Wrong or Missing?

With DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 in the env block of ~/.claude/settings.json, Remote Control never connects from a Code tab session in the desktop app. The only error is Remote Control initialization failed.

I'm on 2.1.293, on Max, without Trusted Devices, so per the docs it should work. It does not work in desktop-hosted sessions.

Evidence

• 249 of 249 enable attempts failed in ~/Library/Logs/Claude/main.log between Aug 27 and Oct 7, across all sessions and projects.
• claude doctor, run in a terminal with the same bundled 2.1.293 binary and the variable set, reports Remote Control as available.
• Removing the one line and starting a new session fixed it. Next attempt: Remote control enabled: "https://claude.ai/code/session_...".

[info]  [rcAutoEnable] verdict: enable=true source=explicit_pref trigger=first_turn
[info]  Enabling remote control for session local_...
[error] Failed to toggle remote control for local_...: "Remote Control initialization failed"

Environment

• macOS (Darwin 25.6.0, Apple Silicon)
• Claude desktop app 2.26454.2, bundled Claude Code 2.1.293
• Max plan, claude.ai login, no managed settings

Suggested Improvement

1. Either make desktop-hosted sessions behave the way the docs describe, or update the docs to say DISABLE_TELEMETRY and DO_NOT_TRACK still block Remote Control in the desktop app.
2. Show the specific reason. The CLI already has a message for this case ("Remote Control requires feature-flag evaluation, which is disabled because DISABLE_TELEMETRY is set"). The desktop app shows the generic one instead, and so does main.log.

Impact

High - Prevents users from using a feature

Additional Context

#57286 and #91325 look like the same failure. #91325 has the same "desktop fails, terminal works" split.