Anthropic is expanding the reach of its popular AI coding assistant, Claude Code, with the launch of “Remote Control,” a new feature that allows developers to manage coding tasks directly from their smartphones. This marks a significant shift for the platform, previously limited to desktop applications, terminal command-line interfaces, and integrated development environments (IDEs).
The move comes as Claude Code continues to gain traction within the developer community, fueled by the rise of “vibe coding”—a method of software creation that utilizes natural language prompts instead of traditional programming languages. The platform has reportedly reached a $2.5 billion annualized run rate as of February 2026, more than doubling its revenue since the start of the year, and is experiencing a surge in adoption with 29 million daily installs within Visual Studio Code.
Remote Control, announced earlier today by Claude Code Product Manager Noah Zweben, synchronizes local command-line environments with the Claude mobile app and web interface. This allows developers to initiate complex tasks and maintain control from a phone or tablet, effectively decoupling the AI agent from a physical workstation. Currently, the feature is available as a Research Preview for subscribers to Claude Max, Anthropic’s highest tier, which costs between $100 and $200 per month. Anthropic has stated via X that access will be extended to Claude Pro ($20/month) subscribers in the future.
The core functionality, as outlined in Claude Code documentation, ensures that Claude continues running on the user’s machine while providing a remote control interface through the app. This preserves access to local context, including filesystem access, environment variables, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, even when away from the primary workstation.
How Remote Control Works
Remote Control functions as a secure bridge between a local terminal and Anthropic’s cloud interface, leveraging the Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 AI models that power Claude Code. The system establishes an outbound connection from the user’s machine to Anthropic’s API, avoiding the need to open inbound ports or expose the computer to the open web. Users initiate a session by running the command claude remote-control in their terminal, which generates a QR code that, when scanned with the Claude mobile app, establishes a synchronized connection.
According to Anthropic, the design prioritizes developer “flow state,” allowing users to continue working on tasks while away from their desks – “take a walk, spot the sun, walk your dog without losing your flow,” as Zweben put it in his announcement. The connection is designed to be resilient, automatically reconnecting if the laptop sleeps or the network connection drops.
From Workarounds to Official Support
Prior to the official release of Remote Control, developers relied on a patchwork of third-party tools to achieve similar functionality, including Tailscale for secure tunneling, Termius or Termux for mobile SSH access, and Tmux for session persistence. Some even built custom WebSocket bridges. These solutions were often unreliable and prone to connection issues. Remote Control aims to replace these workarounds with a native, stable connection that requires no complex configurations.
The Rise of Agentic Coding
The launch of Remote Control underscores Anthropic’s growing dominance in the “agentic” coding space. Recent analysis suggests that Claude Code is responsible for approximately 4% of all public GitHub commits worldwide, demonstrating its increasing impact on software development. By extending its capabilities to mobile, Anthropic is further solidifying its position as a leader in AI-assisted coding.
This shift towards mobile-tethered agents reflects a broader trend in the software market, with AI tools now handling roughly 41% of all code written. For developers, this translates to a move away from line-by-line coding towards strategic oversight and higher-level task management. This trend has even impacted the cybersecurity sector, with shares of companies like CrowdStrike and Datadog reportedly falling as much as 11% following the launch of Claude Code’s automated security scanning features.
As Claude Code evolves, the role of the software engineer is being redefined. The industry may see a rise in “one-person unicorns”—startups built and maintained almost entirely through mobile agentic commands—potentially signaling a fundamental shift in how software is created.
The expansion of Claude Code to mobile represents a significant step towards a future where AI-powered coding tools are seamlessly integrated into every aspect of the development process. The continued development of features like Remote Control will likely shape the future of software engineering and accelerate the adoption of agentic coding practices.
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