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Using the Crew from Your Phone

A guide to controlling your vault from your phone using Claude Code's Remote Control feature.

How it works

Claude Code has a feature called Remote Control that lets you control a local Claude Code session from your phone's browser or the Claude mobile app. Your computer runs Claude Code locally (with full access to your vault, agents, and MCP servers), and your phone acts as a remote interface.

Nothing moves to the cloud. Your vault stays on your computer. Your phone just sends messages and receives responses.

Phone (browser or Claude app)
    ↓ sends messages via Anthropic servers
Your computer (Claude Code running locally)
    ↓ executes agents, reads/writes vault
Your Obsidian vault (local files)

A real-world example

I use this on the go. Before leaving, I start a Remote Control session on my laptop. Out and about, I open the session on my phone and ask: "What's on my calendar today?" or "Save this: just had an idea about reorganizing the team standup." I can even search my vault with "What do I know about the Henderson project?" and get a full answer with sources, right from my phone.

The vault, the agents, the MCP servers: everything works exactly as if I were sitting at my computer.

Requirements

  • Claude Code v2.1.51 or later (check with claude --version)
  • Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscription (not API keys)
  • Your computer must stay on and connected to the internet during the session
  • A phone with a browser or the Claude mobile app (iOS/Android)

Team/Enterprise users: your admin must enable Remote Control at claude.ai/admin-settings/claude-code.

Setup (one time)

If you haven't already, make sure Claude Code is authenticated and your vault is trusted:

cd /path/to/your-vault
claude

If this is your first time, Claude Code will ask you to log in (/login) and accept the workspace trust dialog. Once that's done, you're set.

Starting a session

On your computer, open a terminal and run:

cd /path/to/your-vault
claude remote-control --name "My Brain"

This starts a local Claude Code session and displays:

  • A session URL you can open on your phone
  • A QR code you can scan (press spacebar to toggle it)

The session stays running, waiting for connections. Keep this terminal open.

Alternative: enable on an existing session

If you already have Claude Code running, type this inside the session:

/remote-control My Brain

This makes your current session accessible remotely without starting a new one.

Connecting from your phone

You have three options:

Option 1: QR code (fastest)

Press spacebar in the terminal to show the QR code. Scan it with your phone's camera or the Claude mobile app.

Option 2: Session URL

Copy the URL shown in the terminal and open it in your phone's browser.

Option 3: Session list

Go to claude.ai/code on your phone. Your session will appear in the list with a green indicator. Tap it to connect.

Using the Crew from your phone

Once connected, you use the Crew exactly as you would on your computer. Just type (or use voice input) and the agents respond:

  • "Save this: had a great idea about reorganizing the team standup" (Scribe captures it)
  • "Check my email for anything urgent" (Postman scans Gmail)
  • "What's on my calendar tomorrow?" (Postman checks Google Calendar)
  • "Find my notes about the Henderson project" (Seeker searches your vault)

Everything runs on your computer. Your phone is just the interface.

Tips for mobile use

  • Use voice input. Most phones have built-in speech-to-text on the keyboard. Talking is faster than typing on a phone, and the Scribe handles messy voice input perfectly.
  • Keep sessions short and focused. Mobile is great for quick captures, grocery runs, and check-ins. Save deep work for your computer.
  • Name your sessions. The --name flag makes it easy to find the right session on claude.ai/code if you have multiple projects.
  • Your computer must stay awake. If it goes to sleep or loses internet for more than ~10 minutes, the session ends. Adjust your sleep settings before leaving.
  • Works on mobile data. WiFi is smoother, but cellular works fine for text-based interactions.

Troubleshooting

"Remote Control is not yet enabled"

Make sure these environment variables are NOT set in your shell:

unset CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC
unset DISABLE_TELEMETRY

For Team/Enterprise accounts, ask your admin to enable Remote Control in the admin settings.

Session disappears from the list

Your computer probably went to sleep or lost internet. Go back to your computer, check the terminal, and restart the session if needed.

Agents don't seem to activate

Make sure the terminal on your computer is running Claude Code inside your vault folder. If you started it in a different directory, the agents won't be loaded.

QR code won't scan

Press spacebar to toggle the QR code display. If your terminal font is too small, try zooming in, or just copy the URL instead.

What this is NOT

To be clear about limitations:

  • This is not a standalone mobile app. Your computer must be running Claude Code for it to work.
  • This does not sync your vault to the cloud. Everything stays local on your computer.
  • You cannot use this with terminal SSH apps (Termius, Blink, etc.). Remote Control works through the browser or Claude mobile app only.
  • If your computer is off, there is no session to connect to.

Further reading