Answer AI agents
Claude Code, Codex or Aider keep working while you're out. When one asks "Do you want to proceed?" your phone buzzes. Answer with one tap.
Free · Open source · macOS, Windows, Linux
Your computer's terminal,
in your pocket.
Run commands, answer Claude Code, open localhost:3000. From your phone, from anywhere, even with the laptop shut in your bag. Direct and end-to-end encrypted.
$
npx pocket-terminal0servers to run or pay for
1 lineto install or update
~1 minto answer, lid closed
E2Eencrypted, phone to computer
What you can do
Everything you'd walk back to your laptop for.
"It's done" notifications
Long build, big download, model training: get a notification when it finishes or needs you. Sent straight from your computer, encrypted.
Your localhost, anywhere
Run npm run dev on the laptop, open it on your phone from any network. No tunnels, no deploys.
Lid closed? Still works
On charger it answers instantly. On battery it sleeps and wakes every minute or two to check for you, then sleeps again.
Files both ways
Grab a file or a database backup from your computer. Upload a photo into a project folder.
Share a live view
Send a view-only link. A friend or teammate watches your terminal live and can't type a thing. It expires.
Ask in plain English
"Free up port 3000" or half a command you remember becomes the right command for your system, explained. Or just say it.
Any network
Phone on mobile data, laptop on college Wi-Fi. No router settings, no port forwarding, no account to sign up for.
On your phone
A real terminal, made for a thumb.
How it works
Three steps, about five minutes.
- Install on your computerOne line. It runs quietly in the background and starts at login.
- Scan the QR codeWith the Pocket Terminal app on your phone. Both screens show the same 6-digit code; type
yto approve. - Use it anywhereYour phone and computer talk directly, end to end encrypted. A free public board only passes the encrypted "hello".
Install
Step 1: on your computer
You need Node.js 18.20 or newer. Run the line again any time to update; your pairing stays.
Open Terminal and paste:
$
curl -fsSL https://pocket-terminal.utsavdoye.com/install.sh | bash- It asks for your Mac password once, so it can keep the Mac reachable with the lid closed. It can only run 4 exact sleep commands.
- No Node.js?
brew install node, or the installer from nodejs.org.
Open PowerShell (no admin needed) and paste:
>
irm https://pocket-terminal.utsavdoye.com/install.ps1 | iex- Starts at every sign-in, hidden. Works on Windows 10 and 11.
- No Node.js?
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
Open a terminal and paste:
$
curl -fsSL https://pocket-terminal.utsavdoye.com/install.sh | bash- Runs as a systemd user service. Laptops get the lid-closed power features too.
- Needs build tools once:
sudo apt install -y build-essential python3(the installer tells you if they're missing).
Same on every system:
$
npx pocket-terminal- Later:
npx pocket-terminal pair(another phone),list,remove 2,logs,uninstall.
It finishes by showing a one-time QR code. Keep it open for step 2.
Step 2: on your phone
iPhone
- Open pocket-terminal.utsavdoye.com/app in Safari.
- Tap Share → Add to Home Screen.
- Open Pocket Terminal from your Home Screen, tap Scan QR code.
Pair inside the Home Screen app: iPhone keeps it separate from Safari. Notifications need iOS 16.4+.
Android
- Open pocket-terminal.utsavdoye.com/app in Chrome.
- Tap ⋮ → Install app (or Add to Home screen).
- Open it and tap Scan QR code, or just scan the QR with your camera.
Notifications work on Android 8 and newer.
Step 3: approve and pick a PIN
1
Your phone and computer show the same 6-digit code.
2
If they match, type y on the computer.
3
Choose a PIN on the phone. Done: you're connected.
Security
It's your shell. It's built like it.
Security never depends on the code being secret: it's all open source. Read the full threat model.
- End-to-end encrypted. AES-256-GCM notes and a DTLS direct link. Nothing in the middle can read a character.
- Only phones you approve. Each QR code works once, for 10 minutes, and only after you type
ynext to a matching code. - Lock any phone out from the computer in seconds. Each phone has its own key.
- PIN-locked on the phone. 10 wrong tries wipe the key.
- Nothing logged. Commands, output and file names never touch the log. Notifications are encrypted for your phone.
- Share links are view-only, enforced on the computer, and they expire.
FAQ
Questions
Is it really free? Is there a server?
Free and open source (MIT). There's no server you run or pay for, and none that can read your data. A free public message board passes a few encrypted "hello" notes so the two devices can find each other; your live terminal goes directly between them.
How is it different from SSH or Tailscale?
Those assume your computer is awake and reachable. Pocket Terminal is built around a laptop that's asleep in your bag: it wakes itself briefly to check for work, runs it, replies, and sleeps again. Nothing to set up on your router, no account.
Can it run Claude Code with my laptop closed?
Yes. While a program is still working, the computer stays awake (on battery too, above 20%, for up to 2 hours after you last used it). When the agent stops to ask, your phone buzzes with the question. Tap it and answer.
What does it cost in battery?
Each check-in is a few seconds awake. Overnight that's typically a few percent. It never stays awake below 20% and stops waking below 10%.
I lost my phone. What now?
On your computer run npx pocket-terminal list, then npx pocket-terminal remove <number>. That phone is locked out within seconds, and its PIN-locked key is useless.
Which systems does it work on?
Computer: macOS, Windows 10/11, and Linux (laptops get the lid-closed features; servers simply stay awake). Phone: iPhone and Android, as an app you add to your home screen.