Step 1

Set Up a Cloud VPS

You cannot run Claude Code directly on a phone's native operating system, so you need to set up a Virtual Private Server (VPS) to host it.

Provider: Go to Hostinger to set up your VPS.
Plan: Select "VPS Hosting" and choose the KVM 2 plan, which provides enough resources to act as a "home lab in the cloud".

OS Image: During setup, search for the Claude Code operating system image. It comes pre-installed.

Account: Create your account and process your payment.

Credentials: Set your password and enable the free malware scanner.

Step 2

Access and Secure the Terminal

Once the VPS is running, access the terminal via the browser button on the Hostinger dashboard to perform initial security setup.

Now you're in. Type claude to verify Claude Code is available.

You now have access to Claude on your VPS. Select your login method and authenticate.

Exit Claude and return to the terminal so we can run some security commands.

Install Fail2Ban

Block brute force attacks:

sudo apt install fail2ban -y

Check that it is running:

systemctl status fail2ban

Configure Firewall (UFW)

Enable the firewall and allow SSH traffic (port 22):

sudo ufw allow 22 && sudo ufw enable

If you are root, sudo may not be strictly necessary, but it is good practice.

Step 3

Connect via Mobile App

To access this terminal from your phone, you need a terminal application.

Download App: Install Termius from your app store.

Create Host: Open the app (no account required) and create a new host.

Address: Use the DNS name or Public IP address provided in your Hostinger VPS overview.

Label the connection (e.g., "Claude Code").

Scroll down and create an identity for username and password (same as your server password).

Login: Enter the username root and the password you created during VPS setup.

You should then be able to login to the server from your phone.

Test: Connect to the host and type claude to verify Claude Code is working.

Step 4

Set Up SSH Key Authentication

To improve security and convenience, replace password logins with SSH keys.

First, exit Claude Code and close the connection.

Generate Key: In the Termius app, go to "Keychain," add a new credential, and select "Generate Key." Name it (e.g., "mykey").

Once the key has been generated, hold down your finger on the new key and tap "Share."

Export to Host: Select "Export to Host" and choose your Claude Code VPS to automatically add the key.

Test Key: Edit your host settings in the app to remove the saved password. Attempt to connect; if successful, the key is working.

Step 5

Disable Password Authentication

Once the key works, disable password access entirely to harden security.

Remove the password from the identity you created in Termius. If you cannot find your identity, check your keychains (accessible from the Termius main menu).

Disable password authentication (SSH keys only)

Run the following command to modify the SSH configuration and restart the service:

sudo sed -i 's/^#*PasswordAuthentication.*/PasswordAuthentication no/' \
  /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/*.conf && \
  sudo systemctl restart ssh

Verify: Try to log in from a device without the key. You should receive a "Public key denied" error.

Step 6

Set Up Session Persistence with tmux

To ensure your coding session doesn't die when your phone locks or loses signal, use tmux (a terminal multiplexer).

Install: Run the install command (it's likely already installed).

apt install tmux

Start Session: Type tmux to launch a persistent session.

This starts a new session. Launch Claude Code inside it.

Now from Termius, connect to your VPS from your phone and type tmux a to attach to the most recent session.

Same session visible on the desktop terminal connected to the VPS:

Detach: To leave the session running in the background, press Control + B followed by D.

Resume: To reconnect to a previous session, log back in and type tmux a (or tmux a -t [session_name]).

Step 7

Fix Scrolling (Optional)

Out of the box, tmux may not allow scrolling within the Termius app.

Enable mouse support

Copy and paste the following command in your terminal:

echo "set -g mouse on" >> ~/.tmux.conf && tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf

Start a new named session on the VPS:

Access the same session from Termius on your phone:

And now you can scroll on your phone:

Once configured, you can scroll up and down inside your tmux sessions on your phone.

Run Claude Code from Your Phone