How I Run Claude Code via tmux From an iPhone
My setup: a Mac Mini running headless at home, Claude Code agent sessions running in tmux, Tailscale connecting everything, and an iOS terminal app called ShellDrop on my iPhone to SSH in from anywhere. The entire business agent operating system accessible from a phone.
It’s actually surprising how productive you can be just from your iPhone.
Claude Code and tmux on a headless Mac Mini
The Mac Mini runs headless - no monitor, no keyboard. Claude Code sessions run inside tmux, which means they stay alive whether anything is connected or not. SSH in from any device, attach to the tmux session, and you’re looking at exactly what you left. Close the connection, the work keeps going.
This is the whole point of the setup. Claude Code does the work. tmux keeps it running. Tailscale makes the Mac Mini reachable from anywhere. The device you connect from is just a window into what’s already happening.
Claude Code for business from a phone
Obviously the biggest limitation is the smaller screen, which is why I ended up upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone Air - mainly because of the extra screen real estate. Also I wanted the thinnest, smallest, most futuristic phone available and I believe this is it.
ShellDrop is an iOS app optimised for this exact situation - people who want to use SSH on their phone or iPad to tap into their Claude Code agent operating system located on a headless Mac Mini on their home network. The app is also optimised for tmux sessions, so if you get disconnected you can just reconnect with basically one tap.
Using a terminal on your phone - it’s not as useless as you think it would be. You can set Claude Code off to do numerous tasks very easily without needing a huge screen to check on the success of it. Especially when it’s website tasks or app-creating tasks where you check everything on your phone anyway because websites need mobile responsiveness. An iOS app is an iOS app.
When you still need a laptop
The times where I do need to jump back onto a laptop is when I have bigger things to actually do. Writing emails that involve collecting data from multiple places, using the Meta Ads platform, using the Google Ads platform, and just generally needing full access to macOS apps. That’s what I call productivity maxing.
Three channels into the system
But it’s nice to be able to use things from the iPad, from the iPhone - the phone is just another channel for whenever you have an idea when you’re on the go. You can quickly drop it into the agent on your phone either directly using ShellDrop, or via Telegram, or via Dispatch as well.
ShellDrop gives you direct terminal access to the Claude Code agent sessions running on the Mac Mini. Full control. You’re in the same tmux session whether you’re on the phone, the iPad, or a laptop.
Telegram is the quick-drop channel. Have an idea while you’re out, send it to the bot, the agent picks it up.
Dispatch works as another input channel, however Dispatch doesn’t give you direct access to the Claude Code business agent operating system. It’s a way to drop things in.
The agent doesn’t care what device the instructions come from.
How to set up Claude Code with tmux on a Mac Mini
If you want to run a similar setup, the pieces are: a Mac Mini (or any Mac) running headless, Tailscale installed for remote access, tmux for persistent sessions, and Claude Code installed via Anthropic. SSH in, start a tmux session, launch Claude Code inside it. That’s the whole thing. ShellDrop on iOS or any SSH client on any device gets you in from anywhere.
The agent operating system layer - specialist agents, project isolation, Telegram bot - sits on top of this. But the foundation is just Claude Code in tmux on a machine that stays on.
What is the best way to run Claude Code remotely?
A headless Mac Mini with tmux and Tailscale. Claude Code runs inside tmux sessions that persist whether you’re connected or not. Tailscale gives you a private network so the Mac Mini is reachable from any device, anywhere. SSH in from a laptop, phone, or iPad and attach to the running session. ShellDrop on iOS is built specifically for this - optimised for tmux reconnection with one tap.
Can you run Claude Code from an iPhone?
Yes, via SSH. Claude Code runs on the Mac Mini. The phone is just the window into the session. ShellDrop on iOS connects over SSH through Tailscale to the headless Mac Mini where Claude Code is running in tmux. You get full terminal access to the same session you’d see on a laptop. The screen is smaller but for dispatching tasks and checking results, it works.