6 min read
Claude Code Remote Control: how it works, its limits, and when a remote MCP server fits better
In short: Remote Control lets you continue a Claude Code session running on your computer from your phone, a tablet or any browser, through claude.ai/code or the Claude app. Claude keeps running on your machine, with your files, tools and MCP servers; the phone is only a window into that session. You start it with claude remote-control, claude --remote-control or /remote-control. It needs a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan with a claude.ai login (API keys are not supported), and the claude process must stay running. It is built for developers steering coding work; if you want your whole PC from any Claude or ChatGPT chat, a remote MCP server is the other route.
How Remote Control works
When you start Remote Control, your local Claude Code session registers with Anthropic's API and waits for work. Your phone or browser connects to that session through Anthropic's servers: messages go back and forth, but code execution and file access stay on your computer. The session makes outbound HTTPS requests only, so you do not open any port on your router.
From the other device you see the conversation live, send messages and attachments, approve permission requests, switch model or effort, and follow subagents. If the laptop sleeps or the network drops, the session reconnects when the machine is back online. One thing to know: while Remote Control is connected, the session transcript is stored on Anthropic's servers to keep the devices in sync.
Requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Plan | Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise; on Team and Enterprise an Owner must turn it on in the Claude Code admin settings |
| Login | A claude.ai login (/login); API keys and long-lived tokens from setup-token do not work |
| Endpoint | Only with Anthropic's API: not on Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud, Microsoft Foundry or through an LLM gateway |
| Organization policy | Not available with Zero Data Retention or the HIPAA configuration |
| Your computer | On, online, with the claude process running |
How to start it
| Mode | Command | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Server mode | claude remote-control | You want the computer waiting for sessions you start from the phone; it can serve several at once |
| Interactive session | claude --remote-control (or --rc) | You work in the terminal and want the same session on the phone too |
| Existing session | /remote-control (or /rc) | You are already working and want to take it with you, history included |
| Desktop app, VS Code | /remote-control in the prompt box | You use Claude Code outside the terminal |
In the terminal, press the spacebar to show a QR code and open the session straight in the Claude app; otherwise find it by name in the Code section of the app or at claude.ai/code. To connect every session automatically, run /config and turn on Enable Remote Control for all sessions. In /config you can also turn on push notifications for when a task ends or Claude needs a decision.
Limits worth knowing
- The process must keep running. Close the terminal, quit the app or stop
claudeand the session goes offline. On a remote machine over SSH, run it insidetmuxorscreen. - Network outages. An interactive session keeps retrying; server mode gives up after about ten minutes without network and exits.
- Resuming. After you stop the server, the sessions can be brought back for about four hours.
- One remote session per interactive process; server mode serves several (up to 32 by default).
- Some commands are terminal-only, such as
/pluginand/resume. - It is Claude Code. It drives a coding session in a project folder, with Claude Code's tools, not the PC's programs and windows as such.
For extra protection, the Trusted Devices option (in beta) requires each phone or browser to be enrolled and a recent sign-in, confirmed with Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello or a passkey.
Remote Control and the other ways to reach Claude Code
| Option | How you trigger it | Where Claude runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote Control | Drive a running session from the Claude app or claude.ai/code | Your machine | Continuing work in progress from another device |
| Channels | Messages from Telegram, Discord or iMessage pushed into a session | Your machine | Reacting to chat messages or events |
| Cloud sessions | Start a task at claude.ai/code | Anthropic's cloud | Work with no local setup, several tasks in parallel |
| Scheduled tasks | A schedule | Your machine or the cloud | Recurring automation |
| Dispatch | A task sent from the Claude app | Your machine (desktop app) | No longer offered to new users |
Channels is close to what many people use OpenClaw for; see OpenClaw alternatives.
Remote Control or a remote MCP server?
They answer different needs. Remote Control takes your coding session with you. A remote MCP server turns your PC into a set of tools that any chat can use, in Claude and in ChatGPT, on the web, desktop and phone apps, with nothing to keep open in a terminal.
| Aspect | Claude Code Remote Control | Remote MCP server |
|---|---|---|
| What you drive | A Claude Code session in a project folder | The PC as tools: terminal, files, browser, programs |
| From where | Claude app (Code section), claude.ai/code | Any Claude chat, and ChatGPT |
| What must stay running | The claude process | The server, as a background service |
| For whom | Developers | Anyone who works on a PC |
| Cost | Included in the Claude plan | Free open-source options or paid software |
They can also work together: Claude Code accepts remote MCP servers, so the same tools are available inside a coding session too. The options for Windows are compared in MCP server on Windows: every option compared.
Where MCP DeskManager fits
DeskManager is our remote MCP server for Windows. It suits people who want the PC from any Claude or ChatGPT chat, phone apps included, without terminals to keep open: persistent shells, files with previous versions kept, your real Chrome with your logins, programs without an API, and confirmations on irreversible actions. If you are a developer who mostly wants to continue a coding session from the sofa, Remote Control is included in your plan and is the simpler choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is Claude Code Remote Control?
A Claude Code feature that lets you continue a session running on your computer from your phone, a tablet or any browser, through the Claude app or claude.ai/code. Claude keeps running on your machine.
How do I start Remote Control?
Run claude remote-control for server mode, claude --remote-control for an interactive session, or type /remote-control in a session that is already open. Then scan the QR code or find the session in the Claude app.
Does Remote Control work with an API key?
No. It needs a claude.ai login on a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan, and it does not work through Bedrock, Google Cloud, Microsoft Foundry or an LLM gateway.
Does my computer need to stay on?
Yes, and the claude process must keep running. If you work over SSH, start it inside tmux or screen.
Is Remote Control safe?
It opens no inbound ports and all traffic goes through Anthropic's API over TLS. The transcript is stored on Anthropic's servers while connected, and Trusted Devices can require enrolled devices and a recent sign-in.
Further reading
- Control your PC with Claude: every way compared
- Control your PC from your phone with AI
- Computer use agents: every way to let AI control your PC, Mac or phone
Want your whole Windows PC from any Claude or ChatGPT chat? No terminal to keep open, seven days free.
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