Kalenux PhoneCMD is a remote-terminal system developed by Kalenux that turns a phone into a real terminal for a personal computer.[1] A host app on the PC runs persistent shell sessions, coding CLIs such as Claude, Codex and Gemini, file access and an on-device AI agent, while a thin client on the phone or in a browser drives it, over an end-to-end encrypted link that goes directly between phone and PC, never through Kalenux’s servers.[1]
$Overview
PhoneCMD has two sides: a host app that runs on the PC and does the work, and a thin client on the phone (or in a browser at /app) that points and taps. The PC hosts the session, real terminal shells, files and coding CLIs, and the phone is the window into it.[1]
Once paired, the phone can open persistent terminal sessions, launch coding CLIs and resume past conversations, browse and edit files, re-run commands from history and hand an AI agent the keys to operate the PC. It is not a mobile IDE and not a cloud shell; it is a remote control for the machine the user already has.[1]
$History and motivation
A build finishes while you are out; a coding agent needs one more approval; a log needs checking or a command re-running: all waiting on a laptop no one is sitting at. Reaching a personal machine from a pocket has traditionally meant fiddly SSH apps, port forwarding and shells that forget everything when the user looks away. PhoneCMD was built for that gap: the PC stays in control, and the phone becomes a persistent way to watch it, drive it and pick up long-running coding sessions.[1]
“Keep your whole machine reachable when the laptop is not, without a relay server in the middle.”[1]
$Architecture
The client picks the path automatically. Session traffic never passes through Kalenux’s servers either way.[1]
$Features
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Persistent terminals | Each session is a true PTY shell that stays alive between messages; an on-phone emulator renders overwrites, progress bars and wraps correctly |
| Coding CLIs | Launch Claude, Codex, Copilot, Cursor, Gemini, Antigravity or Aider with a folder picker, flags and first prompt; resume a specific past session by id |
| One input, two backends | A Shell ↔ AI toggle sends a line to the live terminal or to an on-device agent that drives the shell |
| On-device AI agent | Claude or GPT on the user’s own key, stored in the phone Keychain; runs a tool-calling loop that executes in a visible session |
| Files, sessions, history | Browse and edit files, switch and rename sessions, re-run commands from PC-stored history, keep several PCs in a rail |
| Prompt key bar | Detects Yes/No, “press enter” and menus, and sends Enter, Esc, Y, N, arrows, Tab or Ctrl-C without the keyboard |
| Command-line tool | A phonecmd CLI mirrors the phone surface for scripting and headless servers; a web client at /app has feature parity on the same network |
$Pairing and connectivity
Pairing takes under a minute: scan the QR code on the desktop or paste one PCMD keycode, a single string carrying the LAN endpoint, public key, pairing code and machine name.[1]
Remote connections are direct WebRTC peer-to-peer, so there is no relay URL to rot. The keycode carries a stable PC identity, and the host re-resolves its LAN IP on every heartbeat, so a DHCP renew, a WiFi reconnect or a weeks-old keycode still connects. A brief network blip shows a small “Reconnecting” banner while the terminal keeps its output on screen.[1]
$Security
| Layer | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Handshake | X25519; the PC public key rides in the QR or keycode out-of-band, authenticating the host and preventing a machine-in-the-middle |
| Messages | crypto_box with random nonces; a session token inside the encrypted channel is required on every command |
| Consent | A pairing code alone is not enough: the desktop shows an approval prompt naming the device |
| Device memory | Approved devices reconnect by public key; new devices need the current code and approval; any device can be revoked |
| AI keys | Stored only in the phone Keychain and sent directly to the AI provider |
| Control plane | Handles store subscriptions, brokers P2P signalling and maps public keys to endpoints; never relays commands or sees plaintext |
$Plans
Everything works on the free plan, capped at 10 terminal commands a day, counted and enforced on the host. The AI agent is always free because it runs on the user’s own key. Paid plans lift the cap and fund the connection infrastructure; payments go through the Play Store and App Store.[1]
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 terminal commands a day; AI agent unlimited |
| Day pass | $1 | Unlimited for one day |
| Weekly | $3 | Unlimited for a week |
| Monthly | $8 | Unlimited, best value, priority support |
$Reception
The Kalenux product page lists no user reviews for PhoneCMD yet.[1]
$See also
$References
- [1]PhoneCMD: Run Your PC From Your Phone. Kalenux. kalenux.com.tr/product/phonecmd
- [2]PhoneCMD on Google Play. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emirbaycan.phonecmd
- [3]PhoneCMD web client. phonecmd.emirbaycan.com.tr/app