Claude Code can hand a running session to your phone and keep building on your own machine. Start the task at your desk, then steer it from the coffee line or a meeting. Your code never leaves your computer, and it runs on a Pro or Max plan.
You start a build. It is going to run for a while. So you sit and watch a log scroll, because getting up feels like walking out on it.
That is the tax on agent work right now. The agent runs on your machine, so you are stuck next to your machine.
Remote Control cuts that cord. The session keeps running on your computer. Your phone becomes the steering wheel. Approve a step from the kitchen, redirect the build from the car, and walk back to your desk to find it still going.
What Is Remote Control?
Remote Control is a Claude Code feature that lets you start a task in VS Code, then drive that same session from your phone or any browser. The work stays on your machine. Your phone is a window into your local VS Code, not a second copy in the cloud.
That distinction is the whole point for a business. Your filesystem, your MCP servers, your environment variables, and your project config never leave your computer. Claude works on the real thing, not a sandbox that only sees part of the picture. The remote device just sends instructions and shows you what is happening.
It is in research preview as of 2026, and it runs on Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100/mo). It does not work on API keys, Team, or Enterprise plans. If you are on one of those, treat this as a preview of where you are headed, not something you can switch on today.
What You Need First
Get these four things in place before you start. Missing one is the usual reason people stall at step three.
| Requirement | What to do |
|---|---|
| A Pro or Max plan | Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100/mo). API keys will not work. |
| VS Code plus the extension | Install VS Code from code.visualstudio.com. Then open the Extensions marketplace, search "Claude Code", and install it. |
| Signed in | Open the Claude Code panel in VS Code. If you are not logged in, type /login in the panel. |
| Workspace trust | Open your project folder in VS Code and accept the trust prompt once. |
One more, optional but worth it: install the Claude app on your phone (iOS or Android). It works in a mobile browser too, but the app is the smoother path.
Setup: Four Steps To Your First Handoff
Step One: Open the Claude Code Panel
Open VS Code. Press Cmd+Shift+P on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows and Linux to open the Command Palette. Type "Claude Code" and pick "Open in New Tab". You can also click the Claude Code icon in the sidebar.
This opens the panel where you run everything.
Step Two: Start a Task and Let It Move
Give Claude a real task in the chat panel, the way you always do. Let it get going before you hand off.
This is the part people rush. Remote Control works best once Claude has context and momentum. Hand off a session that already knows what it is building, not a blank one.
Copy this if you want a throwaway task to test it on:
Build a REST API for a todo app with Express.js. Include CRUD endpoints, input validation, and error handling.
Let it start writing files. Then move on.
Step Three: Turn On Remote Control
Once Claude is working, type this in the chat input:
/remote-control
Or the short version:
/rc
A session URL and a QR code appear in the panel. Your current conversation carries over automatically. Claude does not lose the context it already built.
One move before you run it: type /rename My feature build first to name the session. When you have two or three sessions going, a named one is the difference between finding it on your phone in two seconds and squinting at a list of identical entries.
Step Four: Connect From Your Phone
You have three ways in. Pick whichever is in reach.
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| QR code | Point your phone camera at the QR code in the VS Code panel. It opens the session. |
| Session URL | Copy the URL and open it in any mobile browser. Works on any device. |
| Claude app | Open the Claude app. Your active session shows in the list with a green dot. Tap it. |
No Claude app yet? Type /mobile in the panel to get a download QR code for iOS or Android.
Done. Your phone is now a live remote for the session running on your machine.
What You Can Actually Do From Your Phone
Once connected, the phone is not a read-only monitor. You can:
- Send new prompts. Add instructions, change direction, or ask for a new feature.
- Watch it work in real time. See the code being written, files created, commands run.
- Approve or reject actions. Claude still asks before it creates files or runs commands, the same permission gate you get in VS Code.
- Leave. Claude keeps coding whether you are watching or not. Check back when you want.
Nothing changed on the machine side. Same workspace, same files, same MCP servers, same project config. The phone is a second door into one room.
Where This Fits An Operator's Day
The value is not coding on a tiny screen. It is not losing the session when you have to move. You kick off a long refactor or a report build before a meeting, approve a step or two from your pocket while it runs, and the work is further along when you sit back down. The agent runs at full speed on your machine the whole time. You are just no longer the bottleneck standing next to it.
Turn It On For Every Session
If you want Remote Control on by default so you never type /rc again:
- In the Claude Code panel, type /config
- Set "Enable Remote Control for all sessions" to true
To switch it back, set it to false. That is the whole toggle.
Honest: The Limits You Should Know
This is a research preview, so treat it like one. A few hard edges worth knowing before you lean on it for client work.
Keep VS Code open. Remote Control is a local process tied to your VS Code session. Close VS Code or quit the Claude process and the session ends. You reopen VS Code and run /rc to start a fresh one.
One remote device per session. Each session takes one remote connection at a time. Need two things running in parallel? Open a second Claude Code instance in VS Code and give it its own session.
About ten minutes of network slack. If your machine loses connectivity for roughly ten minutes, the session times out. Run /rc again to reconnect. Short drops, like a tunnel or an elevator, reconnect on their own.
Plan gate. Pro or Max only. Not on free, API keys, Team, or Enterprise.
On the security question, since this runs against your real machine: no inbound ports open on your computer, traffic routes through Anthropic's API over TLS with temporary credentials, and dropped sessions reconnect on their own for up to about ten minutes. Your code stays local the entire time. That is the honest version, and it is a preview, so re-check the plan and the security details before you put anything sensitive through it.
If It Is Not Working
Session does not show on your phone. Check that you are signed into the same Claude account on VS Code and on your phone. Scan the QR code again, or copy the URL and paste it manually.
"Not logged in" error. Type /login in the panel to re-authenticate. Confirm your Pro or Max subscription is active.
Session disconnected. Your machine likely slept or lost network. Reopen VS Code, start a new chat, and run /rc again. Your files and project state are still there. You just tell Claude where it left off.
QR code will not scan. Make sure the whole code is visible in the panel, scroll up if it is cut off. Or copy the session URL text and paste it into your phone browser.
Quick Reference
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /remote-control or /rc | Turn on Remote Control for the current session. Shows the QR code and URL. |
| /rename [NAME] | Name the session before you go remote so it is easy to find on your phone. |
| /mobile | Get a QR code to download the Claude app for iOS or Android. |
| /config | Open settings. Toggle "Enable Remote Control for all sessions". |
| /login | Re-authenticate when you hit login errors. |
The flow in one breath: open VS Code, open the Claude Code panel, give Claude a task, let it start, type /rc, scan the QR code, walk away, come back later. It never stopped.
If You Only Do One Thing This Week
Pick one real build you keep putting off because you do not want to babysit it. Start it at your desk, run /rc, and go make coffee. Approve a couple of steps from your phone while the kettle runs.
You are testing one thing: whether being away from the keyboard stops costing you the session. If it does not click for you, you spent ten minutes and a coffee. If it does, you just unhooked your best worker from your chair.