Remote

Requires Extended Subscription

Remote requires an active Extended Subscription.

Overview

Remote lets you control your Gridmux desktop from the Gridmux Remote Android client. The desktop runs a secure local server (HTTPS + WebSocket); your paired phone connects to it over your network.

It’s built for functional parity with the desktop — not a stripped-down “mobile mode”. From your phone you can work with your workspaces, terminals, aliases, templates, notes, and the AI Agent.

Requirements

• An active Extended Subscription.
• The Gridmux Remote Android app on your phone.
• A network you control — your own LAN, or a personal VPN such as Tailscale (see LAN vs Tailscale and Security & network safety).

Enabling Remote

Open Settings → Remote. There you can:

• Enable the Remote server (it’s off by default — a clean install never starts it automatically).
• Set the port (1024–65535).

The server only runs when both conditions hold: Remote is enabled and you have an active Extended Subscription. If your subscription lapses while the server is running, Gridmux stops it automatically.

Pairing your phone

In Settings → Remote, choose a connection mode and Gridmux shows a QR code. In the Gridmux Remote app, scan it to pair:

• The QR code carries a one-time pairing token that’s valid for about 60 seconds — generate a fresh one if it expires.
• Once scanned, your phone receives a long-lived device token and stays paired across restarts.
• Remote is single-device: pairing a new phone prompts you on the desktop to replace the currently paired device.

LAN vs Tailscale

The Remote settings offer two connection modes:

• Connect locally (LAN) — your phone and PC are on the same local network.
• Connect anywhere (Tailscale) — use a personal VPN so the two can reach each other from different networks. Gridmux includes a short, 4-step guide (install on PC, install on phone, pair, verify) with links to Tailscale’s site and app.

Tailscale is independent software — Gridmux just links to it and explains the steps; there’s no Tailscale-specific integration inside Gridmux.

What you can control

From the paired phone you can:

• Workspaces — view, switch, create, close, and rename.
• Terminals — open and close them, type input, and see live output streaming; rename them.
• Aliases — list and run them.
• Templates — view and apply.
• Notes — read and edit your notes.
• AI Agent — run AI requests.

Managing paired devices

The Remote settings show your paired device with when it was paired and last seen. Use Revoke to remove a device — it immediately loses access. Because Remote is single-device, revoking (or replacing) is how you move access to a different phone.

Security & network safety

Use it only on networks you control

Remote is designed for networks you control — your own LAN, or a personal VPN such as Tailscale Personal. Exposing the server to the public internet (port forwarding, dynamic DNS, etc.) is not supported — if you set that up, you take responsibility for the security of that configuration.

Under the hood:

• The server uses a self-signed certificate (ECDSA-P256) generated on your machine.
• Every request from the phone is authenticated with a bearer token and carries a timestamp to guard against replay; tokens are stored in your operating system’s keychain.

Two extra safeguards apply to actions driven from the phone:

• Applying a template over Remote does not run its startup commands — those only run from the desktop, where you can review them first.
• The AI Agent over Remote has its own consent step before requests are sent.

Notes & limitations

• Remote is single-device — one paired phone at a time.
• The server never auto-starts; you enable it explicitly in Settings.
• The Gridmux Remote Android client is a separate app with its own documentation.