July 15, 2026 · claude-code · comparison · mobile
Claude Code Remote Control vs Happy vs Omnara vs Vyber: what each is actually for
You can now control Claude Code from your phone four different ways. That’s a good problem to have, but the tools get lumped together as “Claude Code mobile apps” when they’re built for genuinely different jobs. Here’s what each one actually does, verified against docs and repos as of July 2026, so you can pick the right one instead of the loudest one.
Quick disclosure: we build Vyber. We’ll be straight about where the others are the better pick, because they often are.
Claude Code Remote Control (Anthropic, official)
Anthropic shipped Remote Control in February 2026. It connects a Claude Code session running on your machine to claude.ai/code or the Claude app on iOS and Android. Run claude remote-control (or /remote-control inside a session), scan a QR code, and you’re steering your local session from the couch.
It’s genuinely well built. The session runs entirely on your machine, so your filesystem, MCP servers, and project config all stay available. Outbound HTTPS only, no inbound ports. If your laptop sleeps, the session reconnects when it wakes. You get push notifications when Claude finishes a long task or needs a decision. Server mode can even host multiple concurrent sessions, including one-per-worktree spawning.
As of this writing it’s in research preview, available on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans (not API keys), and included with your subscription at no extra cost. The trade-offs: the local claude process has to stay running, an extended network outage (roughly 10 minutes) times the session out, and the session transcript is stored on Anthropic’s servers to keep devices in sync.
The interaction model is a chat window into a session. You open a session, you talk to it. That’s exactly right for continuing the thing you were working on at your desk.
Happy (open source, E2E encrypted)
Happy (github.com/slopus/happy) is the open-source take: MIT licensed, 22k+ stars, iOS, Android, and web. Install with npm install -g happy, then run happy claude instead of claude. It also wraps Codex.
Happy’s headline feature is end-to-end encryption. You pair devices by scanning a QR code that establishes a shared secret, and the relay server only ever sees encrypted blobs. Your code and conversation never touch a server in plaintext, and because the whole stack is open source, you can audit that claim or self-host the server. It also does realtime voice, push notifications when the agent needs permission or hits an error, and instant switching between devices. The core product is free.
If your threat model doesn’t allow transcripts sitting on someone else’s server — Remote Control stores them on Anthropic’s, by design — Happy is the answer.
Omnara (agent control plane)
Omnara (YC S25) calls itself a control plane for agents, and that’s a fair description. Apache 2.0 licensed (github.com/omnara-ai/omnara), pip install omnara, with terminal, web, mobile, and even Apple Watch interfaces. It supports Claude Code and Codex, with broader agent integrations in the repo.
Omnara’s distinctive move is persistence: it offers cloud execution so sessions can keep going when your laptop goes offline, which none of the local-first tools do. Sessions sync across terminal, web dashboard, and mobile in real time. As of this writing there’s a free tier with a monthly session cap and a paid plan for unlimited sessions — third-party sources disagree on the exact price, so check omnara.com/pricing for current numbers.
If you want your agents to outlive your laptop, or you want a self-hostable dashboard across multiple agent types, Omnara is aimed at you.
Vyber (the interrupt inbox)
Vyber starts from a different question. Not “how do I chat with my agent from my phone?” but “I have five sessions running — which one needs me right now?”
Everything above gives you a window into one session at a time. That’s the right shape when you’re running one session. It stops scaling around session three, when checking your agents means opening each one and scrolling to find out if it’s blocked. Vyber is a cockpit for the fleet:
- Interrupt inbox. One ranked queue of everything blocking across all sessions: permission prompts, questions Claude asked, finished diffs waiting on review. Clear the queue, not the tabs.
- Fleet board. Every session’s state at a glance — working, blocked, done.
- Mobile diff review. Read the actual diff on your phone before you approve, not just “Claude wants to edit 4 files.”
- Actionable lock-screen notifications and Live Activities. Approve or deny without unlocking; watch a long task’s progress from the lock screen.
- Usage burn tracking. See how fast sessions are eating your plan limits before you hit them.
The plumbing: an iPhone app plus a Mac companion (npm i -g vyber-companion, then vyber connect and QR pairing). The companion connects outbound-only — no SSH, no inbound ports — and syncs decisions, not source. Diffs leave your Mac only when you enable review, over TLS. Free tier covers 1 Mac, 1 concurrent session, and basic pushes; Pro is $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr. Codex and Gemini CLI support are on the roadmap. There’s a waitlist at vybercode.net.
To be clear: Vyber works alongside everything Anthropic ships, not instead of it. Remote Control is excellent at what it does. Vyber exists for the part it doesn’t try to do — triage across many sessions.
Side by side
| Remote Control | Happy | Omnara | Vyber | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | Anthropic (official) | Open source community (MIT) | Omnara, YC S25 (Apache 2.0) | Vyber |
| Core model | Window into a local session | E2E-encrypted window into a session | Control plane, optional cloud persistence | Interrupt inbox + fleet cockpit |
| Platforms | Claude app (iOS/Android), claude.ai/code | iOS, Android, web | Terminal, web, mobile, Apple Watch | iPhone + Mac companion |
| Agents | Claude Code | Claude Code, Codex | Claude Code, Codex, others | Claude Code (Codex, Gemini CLI on roadmap) |
| Multi-session view | Session list; server mode hosts many | Session list per machine | Dashboard across sessions | Ranked cross-session interrupt queue |
| Survives laptop offline | No (~10 min timeout) | No | Yes, via cloud execution | No (local-first by design) |
| E2E encryption | TLS; transcripts stored on Anthropic servers | Yes, relay sees only encrypted blobs | TLS; self-hostable | TLS; decisions synced, diffs opt-in |
| Price | Included with Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise | Free | Free tier + paid plan | Free tier; Pro $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr |
Honest table caveat: “yes” and “no” cells hide nuance. Read the sections above before deciding.
Which should you use?
One session, want zero extra tools: Remote Control. It’s official, included with your subscription, and the QR-code-to-couch flow takes thirty seconds. If you’re on Pro or Max and mostly run one session, stop reading and go run claude remote-control.
Open source and E2E encryption are non-negotiable: Happy. Auditable code, encrypted relay, self-hostable, free. It’s the strongest privacy story of the four.
Sessions that outlive your laptop, or a multi-agent dashboard: Omnara. Cloud persistence is a real differentiator, and the Apache 2.0 stack means you can run the whole thing yourself.
Three-plus concurrent sessions and tired of tab-checking: Vyber. If your day is worktrees, parallel sessions, and constant “is anything blocked?” checks, an interrupt inbox beats four chat windows.
These aren’t mutually exclusive. Plenty of people will run Remote Control for deep back-and-forth on one session and a fleet tool for triage across the rest. Pick for the job, not the category.