Remote Claude Code: iPhone + Termius → Mac (Tailscale + tmux + SSH)

07 Mar, 2026

Remote Claude Code from your iPhone is one of the most liberating setups I've built: keep Anthropic's terminal-based coding agent running 24/7 on your MacBook Air, then jump in from anywhere (train, café, bed) using just your phone + Termius.

No rented VPS, no ngrok hassle, no port forwarding nightmares. Here's the exact flow that works for me in 2026.

Core Pieces

• Claude Code runs persistently inside tmux on your Mac (so it survives disconnects/sleep).
• Tailscale gives secure, always-on access to your Mac from your iPhone (mesh VPN, free tier is perfect).
• Termius (free Starter plan) is the iOS SSH client — great tmux support, key auth, Touch ID.
• SSH username: yours is jack (confirmed via Terminal prompt jack@Jacks-MacBook-Air).

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Enable SSH on Mac
   System Settings → General → Sharing → Remote Login ON.
   Allow your user (or all users for simplicity).

2. Install & Connect Tailscale (both devices)

   • Download Tailscale app on iPhone (App Store) and macOS app.
   • Sign in with the same account on both → status green/connected.
   • Your Mac is now reachable at its Tailscale hostname (e.g. jacks-macbook-air or 100.x.x.x).
     MagicDNS makes it hostname-based — super convenient.

3. Install tmux & Claude Code on Mac

   brew install tmux
   npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code   # or current install command
   

4. Start persistent Claude Code session
   In Mac Terminal:

   tmux new -s claude
   claude   # or claude-code — start your agent here
   

   Detach: Ctrl+b then d.
   It keeps running/editing/thinking even if Mac sleeps lightly (use Amphetamine app to prevent deep sleep if needed).

5. Set up Termius on iPhone

   • Install Termius (free).
   • New Host:
     • Address: your Mac's Tailscale hostname/IP
     • Username: jack (run whoami in Mac Terminal if unsure — it prints your exact username instantly)
     • Auth: SSH key (generate in Termius, add public key to Mac's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys) or password.
   • Connect → type tmux attach -t claude (or tmux a).

You're now inside the same Claude Code session from your phone. Prompt, watch it code, detach with Ctrl+b d when done — reconnect anytime.

Pro Tips

• Username check: Always run whoami on your Mac to confirm — mine shows jack. Use this exact string in Termius (not your display name 李思睿 or email).
• Connection drops? Reconnect + re-attach tmux — Claude Code never loses state.
• Termius tmux perks: enable "Tmux control mode" in host settings for easier splits/scroll.
• Security: Tailscale + key auth = zero public exposure. Never open port 22 to the internet.
• Bonus: Split tmux windows (Ctrl+b %) so you can watch Claude Code in one pane and run git/commit in another from phone.

This setup turns any downtime into productive Claude sessions — vibe-coding from the couch in Tokyo. ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Questions or tweaks? Hit me up.

Stay remote.

#AI