Last updated: 2026-05-25
HiTerm - Your Mobile Terminal, Anywhere
HiTerm lets you securely access your PC's terminal from your phone โ on the subway, at a coffee shop, or anywhere with a network connection.
Core Value
๐ Access Your Dev Environment Anywhere
No longer tied to your desk:
- Debug production issues on the subway
- Work remotely from a coffee shop
- Check server logs from bed
- Manage your servers from anywhere
๐ฑ Optimized for Mobile
Unlike traditional SSH tools:
- Seamless network switching - WiFi โ 4G switches without dropping
- Works on weak signals - Subway, elevator, high-speed rail
- Session persistence - Tasks keep running after disconnect
- Local echo - Instant input response, no network delay
๐ AI Tool Notifications
Free your attention:
- Get notified when Claude Code finishes generating code
- No need to watch long-running tasks
- Tap notification to jump to the terminal
- Support for custom notification hooks
๐ค AI Coding Agent Ready
HiTerm works with virtually any AI coding agent CLI tool:
- Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex โ built-in notification hooks
- Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, Continue โ all work seamlessly
- Any agent that outputs to terminal can be controlled from your phone
- No special integration needed โ if it runs in a terminal, HiTerm can reach it
Your AI agent runs on PC, you control it from anywhere.
๐ Secure by Design
Enterprise-grade security:
- WireGuard encryption via Tailscale
- Peer-to-peer, no third-party relay
- SSH key authentication, one-time pairing tokens
- End-to-end encrypted
Use Cases
Use Case 1: Debug on the Subway ๐
Problem: Production alert fires during your commute. Subway signal is unstable.
Solution:
- Open Hi Term and connect to your office PC
- SSH through the jump box to the production server
- Check logs, find the issue, restart services
- Mosh keeps the connection alive through signal fluctuations
- Tunnel pauses the connection, auto-resumes when you emerge
Outcome: Fix the issue in 10 minutes without waiting to get to the office.
Use Case 2: AI Writes Code, You Get Notified ๐ค
Problem: Claude Code needs 10 minutes to generate complex code. You want coffee but don't want to miss the completion.
Solution:
- Start a Claude Code task on your PC
- Put your phone in your pocket, grab a coffee
- Task completes โ phone buzzes: "[my-project] Code generation complete"
- Tap the notification to view the generated code
- Make adjustments right from your phone
Outcome: No screen-watching. Better productivity.
Use Case 3: Remote Work from a Coffee Shop โ
Problem: You want to access your home dev environment without exposing SSH ports to the internet.
Solution:
- Open Hi Term and connect to your home PC
- Tailscale encrypts the connection end-to-end
- Use tmux to manage multiple projects (frontend, backend, database)
- Network switches (cafe WiFi โ phone hotspot) don't drop the connection
- Continue on your PC when you get home โ all sessions intact
Outcome: Access your full dev environment anywhere, feels like local.
Use Case 4: Solve 80% of Dev Work from Your Phone ๐ฑ
Problem: You keep going back to your desk to check on tasks that don't really need a full PC.
Solution:
- Start coding sessions, builds, and AI agent tasks on your PC
- Walk away โ monitor progress, review logs, and check results from your phone
- Only return to your PC when you need a browser or visual test results
- Mosh keeps the connection alive across WiFi, 4G, and cellular handoffs
- Tmux preserves everything โ even if your PC loses power, it auto-recovers on reboot
Outcome: Handle the majority of your daily dev work from your phone. Your PC becomes a headless server you control from your pocket.
Architecture {#how-it-works}
HiTerm uses Tailscale's virtual LAN to establish peer-to-peer connections between your phone and PC.
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ HiTerm Architecture โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Your Phone Tailscale Network Your PC
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ (Encrypted P2P) โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ โ โ โ
โ Hi Term App โ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโบ โ hiterm CLI โ
โ โ 100.x.x.x โ 100.y.y.y โ โ
โ โ โ โ
โ - QR Scan โ โ - SSH โ
โ - Terminal โ โ - Notify โ
โ - Notify โ โ - Sessions โ
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
โ โ
mosh client mosh server
โ โ
Terminal emulator tmux session
Key Components:
- Tailscale: Secure P2P mesh network โ data never touches the cloud. 80%+ of connections are direct peer-to-peer hole-punching, with end-to-end WireGuard encryption.
- mosh: Auto-recovering SSH replacement. Survives WiFi โ cellular handoffs, base station roaming, and even full network outages โ when connectivity returns, your session resumes without losing a single keystroke.
- tmux: Terminal session manager that persists across everything. Disconnect, network dropout, even sudden power loss โ on next boot, tmux restores your sessions exactly as they were.
- QR Pairing: One-scan setup, no manual configuration.
Comparison
HiTerm's primary competitors are AI coding agent remote-control tools, not just SSH clients.
| Feature | HiTerm | Happy Coder | Omnara | Marvis | Claude Remote Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full PC terminal on phone | โ Yes | โ Limited | โ Limited | โ Limited | โ No |
| AI coding agent CLI support | โ All (Claude Code, Gemini, Cursor, etc.) | โ Limited | โ Limited | โ Limited | โ Claude only |
| P2P encrypted (no cloud relay) | โ Tailscale P2P | โ Relay | โ Relay | โ Relay | โ Relay |
| Network resilience (mosh) | โ Auto-recovery on any network switch | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Session persistence (tmux) | โ Survives power loss, reboot | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| QR pairing | โ One scan | โ Config needed | โ Config needed | โ Config needed | โ Config needed |
| Notifications | โ Built-in hooks | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Price | Free | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Free |
| Platform | Android | Android/iOS | Android/iOS | iOS | iOS |
What makes HiTerm different:
- It puts your full PC terminal on your phone โ not a limited sandbox, not a curated shell. Your entire development environment, all your tools, exactly as configured.
- Works with any AI coding agent โ Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, Continue. If it runs in a terminal, HiTerm can reach it.
- Designed for real mobile networks โ mosh survives subway tunnels, elevator drops, and cellular handoffs. tmux persists through power loss and reboots.
- Zero-config P2P security โ Tailscale handles NAT traversal automatically. 80% of connections are direct peer-to-peer with WireGuard encryption.
System Requirements
PC
- OS: Linux, macOS, Windows (WSL2)
- Required: Tailscale, sshd
- Recommended: mosh, tmux
Phone
- OS: Android 7.0+ (API 24)
- Architecture: arm64-v8a
- Required: Tailscale
Quick Start
Ready? 3 steps, 5 minutes:
- Install Tailscale โ Both PC and phone (2-min guide)
- Install hiterm โ One command (quick install)
- Scan QR code โ Phone scans, auto-pairs
๐ Get started now
FAQ
Q: Is it free?
A: Yes, HiTerm is completely free. Tailscale's personal plan is also free (up to 100 devices).
Q: Is it secure?
A: Yes. All data is encrypted via Tailscale's WireGuard, peer-to-peer, with no third-party relay.
Q: Do I need a public IP?
A: No. Tailscale handles NAT traversal automatically.
Q: Does it support iOS?
A: Not yet. Currently Android only.
Q: Can I connect to multiple PCs?
A: Yes. Each hiterm pair adds a new PC to your phone's host list.
Q: Does the connection drop on network switch?
A: No. Mosh is designed for mobile โ network switches are seamless.
More questions? See Troubleshooting & FAQ.
Next Steps
- Quick Start โ 5-minute experience
- Tailscale Setup โ Start from the beginning
Open Source & Community
HiTerm is open source. Contributions welcome:
- GitHub: wsyb/mobileterm
- Issues: GitHub Issues
- Email: ybkk1027@gmail.com
Your terminal, wherever you go. ๐