Codex from a phone
Your phone can steer the session without becoming the runtime.
Codex keeps running on the workstation with its repository and tools. A private browser connection lets you inspect output, answer a prompt or start the next command from iOS or Android.
Short answer
How do I use Codex CLI from my phone?
Install tlbx and Codex on a machine that stays online, run Codex inside a tlbx session, and give your phone a private network route to that machine. Open the tlbx HTTPS address in the phone browser. The phone sends terminal input; Codex, Git and the filesystem stay on the host.
Prepare the host
Install tlbx and authenticate Codex where the source tree and development tools already live.
Keep access private
Use a trusted LAN or a point-to-point VPN such as Tailscale instead of exposing the terminal publicly.
Open it on mobile
Use Safari, Chrome or another modern browser; no SSH client or provider-specific mobile app is required.
Reconnect, do not migrate
Return to the same PTY and retained output. The repository and agent never move onto the phone.
Mobile reality
Useful for steering, honest about the boundary.
- Good at
- Checking a long run, answering an agent question, issuing a short command, reviewing terminal output and recovering after a disconnect.
- Input
- tlbx accounts for the soft keyboard and provides terminal-oriented controls for keys that are awkward on touch devices.
- Geometry
- A leading desktop can retain canonical PTY size while the phone follows without reflowing the running TUI.
- Not magic
- The host must remain powered, awake and reachable. A phone browser cannot continue a process after the host shuts down.
No cloud runtime
tlbx does not copy the agent, shell or repository into an external execution service.
No public terminal
Private routing and authentication remain essential because the browser controls a real shell on the host.
Still a full terminal
The workflow also works for bash, zsh, PowerShell, OpenCode, Claude Code and ordinary terminal programs.
Common questions
Codex from a phone FAQ
Do I install Codex on the phone?
No. Codex and tlbx run on the host machine. The phone only needs a modern browser and private network access to that host.
Does closing the phone browser stop Codex?
No. The PTY remains owned by the tlbx host. You can reconnect while the machine and service remain running.
Can I use this outside my home network?
Yes, through a private route such as Tailscale or another point-to-point VPN. Do not publish an administrative terminal directly to the internet.
Is this useful beyond Codex?
Yes. tlbx is a general native web terminal and works with other agent CLIs, shells, editors, Git tools and terminal applications.