You are on a train. You have an idea for a project — a portfolio page, an interactive piece, a tool you want to build. You open Claude on your phone and start describing it.
By the time you sit down at your desk, the conversation is there, waiting. You open the desktop app, point it at a folder, and Claude starts building where you left off.
Before bed, you hand the session to the cloud. Claude keeps working while your laptop sleeps. In the morning, there is a pull request waiting for you.
This is not a hypothetical workflow. This is how Claude Code works right now. Here is how to set it up.
The four surfaces
Claude Code runs in four places. Same engine, same capabilities, different entry points.
| Surface | Where it runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop app (Code tab) | Your computer | Interactive building. Your files, your tools, visual diffs. |
| Phone (Claude iOS / Android) | Cloud or your computer via Remote Control | Starting tasks, reviewing progress, sending instructions on the go. |
| Web (claude.ai/code) | Cloud | Parallel sessions. Long-running work. No local setup needed. |
| Terminal (CLI) | Your computer | Scripting, automation, developer workflows. |
The key insight: these are not separate products. They are different windows into the same thing. A session started on one can continue on another.
Remote Control — your desktop session, from your phone
This is the feature that changes the daily rhythm.
Remote Control lets you access a running desktop session from your phone or browser. Your local files, your CLAUDE.md, your project — all still there. Your phone is just a window.
To enable it:
Open the Claude desktop app. Go to settings. Enable Remote Control for all sessions. That is it. Every session you start will now be accessible remotely.
To connect from your phone:
Open the Claude app on iOS or Android. Your active sessions appear in the session list. Tap one. You are in.
What you can do from your phone:
- Read what Claude has done
- Give it new instructions
- Approve or reject changes
- Start new tasks in the same session
What you cannot do from your phone:
- Browse your local files directly (Claude can, you just see the conversation)
- Use the visual diff view (that is desktop only)
The session stays on your computer. Your phone is a remote control — hence the name.
Boris Cherny, the creator of Claude Code, has this enabled for every session. He starts work on his phone during his commute and picks it up on his desktop when he arrives. His setup is less exotic than you might expect: Remote Control on, system notifications on, and five tabs open.
Dispatch — send a task from your phone, get a session on your desktop
Dispatch works the opposite direction from Remote Control.
With Remote Control, you connect to a session that already exists on your desktop. With Dispatch, you send a task from your phone, and your desktop creates a new session to handle it.
The workflow:
- You are away from your desk. An idea hits.
- Open Claude on your phone. Describe the task.
- Your desktop receives the task and opens a new Claude Code session.
- Claude works on the task using your local files and tools.
- When you get back to your desk, the work is there — diffs ready for review.
To use Dispatch:
Pair your phone with your desktop in the Claude app settings. Once paired, tasks you send from the phone route to your desktop automatically.
This is particularly useful for delegating slow work. “Refactor the portfolio page to use a grid layout and add a dark mode toggle” — send it from your phone, find it done when you sit down.
Cloud sessions — work that continues while your laptop sleeps
Sometimes you want Claude to keep working after you close the lid.
Cloud sessions run on Anthropic’s infrastructure instead of your computer. They do not need your machine to be awake. They do not need your project to be cloned locally. They are fully independent.
To start a cloud session:
In the desktop app, choose Remote instead of Local when starting a session. Or go to claude.ai/code in your browser and start a session there.
What cloud sessions are good for:
- Long-running tasks you want to fire and forget
- Working on a repository you have not cloned yet (connect it by URL)
- Running multiple parallel sessions without slowing your machine
- Continuing work from a device that does not have your project locally
What cloud sessions lack:
- Your local CLAUDE.md and configuration are not there unless the project has them committed to git
- No access to local MCP servers or tools
- The file permission model is different — cloud sessions auto-accept file edits (the environment is already sandboxed)
Boris Cherny runs five to ten cloud sessions alongside his local ones. He uses them for exploratory work — things he wants Claude to investigate without committing to a direction.
The actual workflow
Here is a realistic day using all three.
Morning (phone, on the train):
Open the Claude app. Start a Dispatch task: “Create an HTML portfolio page for a photographer. Minimal layout, full-bleed images, cream background, serif headings. Use the images in the /portfolio folder.”
Your desktop receives the task and begins.
Midday (desktop, at your desk):
Open the desktop app. The session from this morning has a draft ready. Review the diffs. “Make the headings larger. Add a hover effect on the images. The cream is too yellow — use #F0EEE6.”
Claude iterates. You accept the changes. Preview looks good.
Afternoon (cloud, parallel work):
You want to try a completely different layout direction without losing the first one. Start a cloud session at claude.ai/code pointing at the same repository. “Create an alternative layout: horizontal scroll, single row of images, minimal text.” Let it run while you focus on other things.
Evening (phone, on the sofa):
Open the Claude app. Check both sessions. The cloud session has produced an alternative you like. The local session has your refined original. Send a message to the cloud session: “Create a pull request comparing this layout to the main branch.” Close the app.
Next morning:
A pull request is waiting. You can compare both approaches side by side.
Setting it all up
The full setup takes about two minutes.
- Desktop app: Download from claude.ai/download. Sign in. Click the Code tab.
- Remote Control: Open settings in the desktop app. Enable “Remote Control for all sessions.”
- Phone: Download Claude from the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android). Sign in with the same account.
- Dispatch: In the desktop app settings, pair your phone. Tasks you send from the phone will route to your desktop.
- Cloud sessions: Go to claude.ai/code in your browser. No setup needed — just sign in and start a session.
Requirements: Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan. Remote Control does not work with API keys — you need a claude.ai subscription.
When to use which
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Actively building, iterating, reviewing diffs | Desktop app (local) |
| Have an idea while away from your desk | Dispatch (phone → desktop) |
| Want to check progress or give quick feedback | Remote Control (phone → running session) |
| Long-running task you want to fire and forget | Cloud session |
| Trying multiple approaches in parallel | Multiple cloud sessions |
| Quick thought or brainstorm, no files involved | Plain Claude chat on phone |
Related
- Claude Code for Creatives — your first hour, from zero
- The Right AI Tool for Every Creative Task — when to use Claude Code vs Cowork vs ChatGPT
- Context Management in Claude Code — keeping sessions sharp as they get longer (member content)
Art & Algorithms publishes guides, tutorials, and prompt packs at the intersection of art and code. Subscribe for the full archive.