[FEATURE] iOS App as Thin Client for Local Claude Code Instances
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Problem Statement
I run Claude Code on my desktop where my repos, dev environment, Docker containers, MCP servers, and full toolchain live. When I step away from my desk, I lose the ability to interact with my running CC session through the official Claude app.
The iOS app currently only supports Claude Code through cloud-hosted sessions, which can't access my local filesystem, local MCP servers, Docker, or custom tooling. To interact with my local CC instance from my phone, I have to cobble together SSH + tmux + Tailscale through third-party terminal apps (Moshi, Blink Shell, Termius) or relay tools (Happy Coder, Clauder, CodeRemote).
These workarounds are fragile, require significant setup, and none match the UX of the official app. The sheer number of third-party tools that have emerged to solve this exact problem signals strong unmet demand.
Proposed Solution
llow the Claude iOS app to connect directly to a Claude Code CLI instance running on my local machine (or any machine on my network), functioning as a remote frontend/thin client.
This could work via a lightweight local server mode in Claude Code (e.g., claude --serve) that exposes a session endpoint the iOS app can discover and authenticate against — over the local network or through Tailscale/WireGuard.
From the iOS app, I'd:
See a list of active local CC sessions (similar to how the app already shows cloud sessions)
Tap to attach to a session and see the full conversation, diffs, and status
Send messages and approve pending actions
Detach without killing the session
The local instance handles all execution, file access, and tool use. The iOS app just renders and relays input.
Alternative Solutions
SSH + tmux + Moshi/Blink — Terminal UX on phone is poor; no push notifications; fragile connections; requires separate app setup.
Happy Coder (open source relay) — Third-party relay server; extra setup; reliability issues.
Clauder (iOS app + tunnel) — Separate app; requires Go build and tunnel config.
CodeRemote — $49/month for what is essentially a wrapper; Tailscale dependency.
Claude Code on web (cloud) — No local filesystem access; GitHub-only; can't reach local MCP servers, Docker, or custom tooling.
Priority
Medium - Would be very helpful
Feature Category
Other
Use Case Example
I'm running Claude Code on my desktop in a tmux session, working on a project with local MCP servers and Docker services
I leave my desk to grab lunch
I open the Claude iOS app and see my active local session listed alongside any cloud sessions
I tap to attach — I see Claude has finished a task and is waiting for approval to run a database migration
I tap "approve," give a follow-up instruction ("now add the API endpoint for user profiles"), and pocket my phone
Later, I sit back down at my desktop and the session is right where I left it — Claude has been working the whole time
No SSH client, no terminal emulator, no third-party relay. Just the Claude app talking to my machine.
Additional Context
The architectural building blocks largely exist: the iOS app already renders Claude Code sessions (cloud-hosted), session teleporting between web and CLI works, and the & prefix demonstrates session handoff is solved
VS Code Remote Tunnels solve an analogous problem for editors
Third-party ecosystem evidence of demand: Happy Coder, Clauder, CodeRemote, Claude-Code-Remote, Moshi — all built specifically because this feature doesn't exist
Security: local-only or Tailscale-based connectivity avoids pushing proprietary code through cloud sandboxes
Session continuity: with tmux, a local CC session stays alive indefinitely — the iOS app would just attach/detach with zero context loss
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