claude /remote-control: Steer PC Work From Your Phone Remotely

When you've set Claude Code on a long job on your PC and need to step away, has your curiosity about its progress kept you from leaving? /remote-control opens this session (a unit of work) so it can be steered remotely on the claude.ai web. It means you can continue giving instructions from your phone even after leaving your PC.

Definition (What It Is)

/remote-control is a command that makes the current Claude Code session remotely controllable on claude.ai (the Claude website). You can also call it by the short form /rc.

Think of it as connecting the work running on your PC terminal so you can look at it from another device's (phone, laptop) browser and issue additional commands. The work itself keeps running on the PC; only the controls move to the web. It's an advanced feature not often used at the beginner stage, but it's a device for "when you have to step away but want work to continue."

How to Use It (By Difficulty)

Basic — Turning On Remote Control

After starting work on your PC, type this in the input box.

/remote-control

Using the alias works the same way.

/rc

Now this session opens as a remote control target. Afterward, log in to claude.ai, find that session, and continue viewing progress and giving instructions from your phone or another device.

Common Pitfalls

• You must log in with the same account to connect. If your PC Claude Code and claude.ai are different accounts, the session won't be visible.
• Steering your session remotely from outside is a security-sensitive feature. Don't turn it on from a shared PC or an untrusted device.
• If the PC shuts off or the network drops, the remote control drops with it. The PC must stay powered on.

Real-World Example

Picture a situation where you set a long job on your PC, like a large-scale refactoring (tidying up code structure), and head out. If you keep /remote-control on, you can check progress from your phone on the move and even give additional instructions like "handle this part this way."

Taking It Further

It also fits device switching, like starting work on your home PC and continuing on a laptop at a cafe. Since you keep the work environment on the PC and just carry the controls around, you don't have to set up heavy work all over again each time.

Summary

/remote-control (/rc) is an advanced command that opens the current session for remote control on claude.ai. It's useful when you keep work on your PC and need to continue on another device, but since it's security-sensitive, only turn it on in a trusted environment.

Reference: Claude Code v2.1.154 (2026.05)