Getting Started

Windows: Connect Windows with your account.

This guide walks you through installing Tactic Remote and making your first connection. You will need a Mac (or Windows PC) and an iPhone.

Time: About 10 minutes for first setup. Reconnecting later takes seconds.

Prerequisites

On your Mac

• Tactic Remote Mac app -- bundles the local server and a pinned Node runtime. On first launch, it checks local dependencies and can help install missing basics such as Homebrew and tmux.

• At least one AI coding agent CLI -- Tactic Remote can start Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, or Sourcegraph Amp. Install and sign in to the agent you want to use before starting your first session.

  # Claude Code (native installer, recommended by Claude Code docs)
  curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
   
  # OpenAI Codex
  npm install -g @openai/codex
   
  # Sourcegraph Amp
  npm install -g @sourcegraph/amp

  If you already have one of these tools working in Terminal (claude, codex, or amp), you are ready to use it from Tactic Remote.

• tmux -- keeps Mac/Linux terminal sessions alive across disconnections. The Mac app checks for it and can help install it; CLI users can install it with brew install tmux on macOS.

If you use the one-command CLI setup instead of the Mac app and do not have Node.js or Homebrew, install them first:

# Homebrew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
 
# Node.js
brew install node

On your iPhone

• iOS 16.4 or later.
• The Tactic Remote iOS app (available on App Store).

Step 1: Choose how you want to set up your Mac

Tactic Remote supports two setup styles on Mac:

Option A: Mac App (Recommended for most people)

Download the Tactic Remote Mac app from the Download page. Open the DMG and drag the app to Applications.

On first launch, the app appears in your menu bar. Click the icon to see:

• Server status (running / stopped)
• Your local IP and port (e.g. 192.168.1.42:8765)
• A QR code for quick iPhone pairing

The Mac app bundles the server internally, so the setup is more guided and easier for non-terminal users.

Option B: One-command Terminal Startup (CLI)

Run this one command in your terminal:

npx tacticremote

The server starts and displays a QR code. Scan it with your iPhone to connect. That's it.

Requirements: Node.js 16+, tmux (brew install tmux on macOS), and at least one installed agent CLI (claude, codex, or amp).

Works on macOS and Linux.

Step 2: Connect from your iPhone

1. Open the Tactic Remote iOS app.

2. Scan the QR code shown by either the Mac app or the CLI. This fills in the server address and API key automatically.

   Or connect manually:

   • Enter your Mac's IP address and port (e.g. 192.168.1.42:8765)
   • Enter the API key if one is set
   • Tap Connect

3. You should see a green Connected indicator within a few seconds.

Which option should I choose? If you prefer a graphical interface, choose the Mac App. If you prefer Terminal, choose the CLI one-command startup path on macOS or Linux.

Bonjour auto-discovery: If both devices are on the same WiFi, the iOS app can also discover your Mac automatically via Bonjour -- look for it in the server list.

Step 3: Create a session

1. Tap the session selector (top-left).
2. Tap New Session.
3. Browse and select a project directory on your Mac -- this is the working directory for the selected agent.
4. Give the session a name (e.g. my-project).
5. Tap Create.

Step 4: Choose and start an agent

1. In Settings, choose the agent you want to run: Claude Code, Codex, or Amp. Claude Code is the default.
2. Tap the Start button.
3. The selected agent launches inside a tmux session on your Mac. You'll see the terminal output stream to your iPhone in real time.
4. Send a test prompt:

List the files in the current directory.

If you see the agent's response streaming on your phone, everything is working.

Step 5: Verify

What's next

• No reply from the Agent — Check the queue and delivery status before resending.
• Try a small bug fix — Follow a concrete task from the request to verification.
• Local Network Setup -- optimize your same-WiFi connection
• Cloudflare Tunnel -- access your Mac from anywhere
• Sessions and Workflow -- understand sessions, start, and reconnect
• Security -- API key management and access controls