Run Claude Code From Your iPhone
Published 2026-09-26 · Updated 2026-10-05
Claude Code runs on your Mac, not on your iPhone. Poket PC gives you two ways to use it from the phone: work Claude Code in Terminal yourself through Screen and the keyboard bar, or choose Claude subscription as the model for Ask, the assistant that runs on the Mac, so Ask spends your subscription instead of an API key.
Poket PC has no Claude sign-in of its own and is no substitute for Anthropic’s own products. You install and sign in to Claude Code on the Mac the way Anthropic documents for the CLI. Poket PC connects your phone to that Mac.
What you need on the Mac
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later with the Poket PC helper installed and paired to your iPhone (setup guide).
- Claude Code installed on the Mac and working in Terminal, billed through your Claude subscription (not through Poket PC).
- For Ask without Claude Code, a local model in Ollama is the other option that needs no key. Until Ollama is running on the Mac, the app’s Model list says Start Ollama with a vision model.
Version 1.0 has no field in the app for an Anthropic or OpenAI API key; support for entering your own API key is planned.
Way 1: work Claude Code in Terminal from your phone
- Open Poket PC on the iPhone. It connects to your paired Mac on its own.
- Tap Screen. Bring Terminal, or your editor’s terminal, to the front by tapping it on the Mac’s screen.
- Tap the round floating control, then the keyboard button. Type
claude, press Return, then type your request and press Return again. - Watch the output on Screen. Pinch to zoom in on small terminal text, and drag two fingers to scroll.
- Answer Claude Code’s questions the same way: type, then Return.
The keyboard sends typed text plus Return and Delete only in 1.0, and the iPhone keyboard has no Tab key. There is no Escape, Control-C, or arrow key yet, so a step in Claude Code that needs one of those keys cannot be done from the phone until the planned modifier bar arrives. Claude Code keeps running in Terminal on the Mac when you disconnect.
Way 2: let Ask use your Claude subscription
- On the iPhone, open Settings (the gear icon, top right). Under Model, choose Claude subscription. It reads Uses Claude Code on this Mac — no API key when the helper finds Claude Code, and Claude Code isn’t installed on this Mac when it does not.
- Tap Ask and describe the task in the box, Tell your computer what to do…, typed or dictated with the mic.
- Choose how far the task may reach, then tap Run task.
- Stay on Ask to read the assistant’s steps, or switch to Screen to watch it work.
Ask is an assistant that operates the Mac. It looks at a screenshot, chooses one action, such as a click or some typing, and the helper carries it out; then it looks again. With the Claude subscription option, the helper asks Claude Code, running in the background, to choose each action. Claude Code only reads the screenshot; every click and keystroke comes from the Poket PC helper, within the reach you picked. Because each step starts Claude Code afresh, it is slower per step than the Claude API.
The task keeps running on the Mac after you lock the phone or lose signal.
What goes where
| Piece | Where it runs |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | Your Mac, signed in with your Claude subscription |
| Your Claude subscription | Billed to you by Anthropic |
| Ask: the assistant loop, memory, schedules | Mac helper |
| Screen, Trackpad, keyboard, Deck | iPhone app |
With the Claude subscription option, your prompts, the assistant’s memory and the screenshots it needs go to Anthropic through Claude Code, under your account and Anthropic’s terms. The relay that connects your phone cannot read them; the model provider can. With Ollama, they stay on your Mac. Details are in the privacy policy.
Poket PC does not resell model usage. You pay Anthropic (or run Ollama locally) under their terms. Poket PC 1.0 is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases.
Limits and safety
- Reach is chosen when you submit a task. Screen, the default, covers your screen and your notes. Quiet covers your notes only; on the Claude subscription a Quiet task ends without an answer in 1.0, because Claude Code works from a screenshot. Tools covers everything set up on your computer, including any tool that can run commands or send mail; it is never the default, and once picked it stays selected until you leave Ask. See /security/ for prompt-injection notes.
- No lock-screen control — the Mac must be awake and logged in.
- No file transfer from the phone; the assistant works with files on the Mac within the reach you chose.
- Not multi-monitor — Screen shows the Mac’s main display.
For voice, tap the mic in Ask to dictate a task. An optional “Hey Mac” wake phrase, off by default, is in the iPhone app’s Settings; it listens on the phone while the app is open.
If Claude Code “does not work from mobile”
Common confusions:
- Anthropic’s own apps — this guide is about Claude Code on your Mac, reached through Poket PC.
- Claude subscription is greyed out — the helper did not find Claude Code on the Mac. Install it, check that
clauderuns in Terminal, then reopen Settings while connected. - Network — If the phone cannot reach the Mac, fix pairing and relay issues in /help/cant-find-mac/ and /help/pairing/.
The iPhone app is in public TestFlight beta, and its App Store release is in review; see /beta/.
For general Mac control beyond coding, start at How to Control Your Mac From Your iPhone. For typing limits, see Use Your iPhone as a Keyboard for Your Mac.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run Claude Code on my iPhone?
Claude Code runs on your Mac. With Poket PC you can work it in Terminal from your iPhone through Screen and the keyboard bar, or choose your Claude subscription as the model for Ask, which then uses Claude Code on the Mac.
Do I paste an Anthropic API key into Poket PC?
No. The Claude subscription option uses Claude Code on the Mac and needs no API key. Version 1.0 has no screen for entering a key; support for adding your own API key in the app is planned.
Can I see the terminal while Claude Code runs?
When you run Claude Code yourself in Terminal, yes: open Screen to watch it and type with the keyboard bar (text, Return, and Delete in 1.0). When Ask uses your subscription, Claude Code works in the background, and you watch what the assistant does on the Mac's screen instead.
Does the task stop when I close the iPhone app?
No. An Ask task keeps working on the Mac after you disconnect, and Claude Code you started in Terminal keeps running in Terminal.
Is this an official Anthropic iPhone app?
No. Poket PC is made by Innoedge Technologies Ltd. It works with Claude Code you install on your Mac; it is not endorsed by Anthropic.