Access opencode from your phone, remotely

The hardest part of running an AI coding agent from your phone isn't the app — it's reaching your opencode server when you're away from home. This page covers the three reliable ways to do it from OpenCode Mobile on Android: Tailscale (recommended), a Cloudflare Tunnel, and ngrok — with the trade-offs of each.

OpenCode Mobile is a thin client. The agent and your AI provider keys live on a machine you control; the app just connects to it over the network. So the goal here is simply: make your server reachable from your phone, securely, from anywhere.

Before you start: make sure opencode serve runs and you can connect on the same Wi-Fi first. If that works, remote access is only about reaching the same server from elsewhere. New here? Start with the setup guide.

Which method should I use?

MethodBest forOpen ports?Public URL?Cost
TailscaleYour own daily use. Private, always-on, set-and-forget.NoNo (private 100.x IP)Free
Cloudflare TunnelA stable public HTTPS URL, e.g. behind your own domain.NoYes (HTTPS)Free
ngrokQuick one-off testing from anywhere.NoYes (HTTPS)Free tier

For your own phone, Tailscale is the right default: nothing is exposed to the public internet, it survives switching between Wi-Fi and cellular, and there are no ports to open. Use a tunnel only when you specifically need a public URL.

Don't port-forward the raw opencode port to the internet. Use a private mesh (Tailscale) or an authenticated tunnel. Whatever you pick, always set OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD so the agent isn't open to anyone who finds the address.

Option 1 — Tailscale (recommended)

Tailscale puts your server and phone on the same private, encrypted network (a "tailnet") built on WireGuard. Your server gets a stable 100.x.x.x IP that only your devices can reach — from any network, with no ports opened.

  1. Install Tailscale on your server

    Install it on the machine running opencode and sign in:

    curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
sudo tailscale up

    Find the server's tailnet IP:

    tailscale ip -4
# e.g. 100.101.102.103

  2. Install Tailscale on your phone

    Install the Tailscale app from F-Droid or Google Play and sign in with the same account. Both devices now share one private network. (You don't need a VPN profile for anything else — Tailscale only routes traffic to your tailnet.)

  3. Run opencode bound to the network with a password

    Bind to 0.0.0.0 so it accepts tailnet connections, and set a password:

    OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD=yourpassword \
  opencode serve --hostname 0.0.0.0 --port 4096

    Tailscale already restricts who can reach the port to your own devices; the password is a second layer.

  4. Connect from OpenCode Mobile

    Open the app → Add Connection → use the Tailscale IP and port, then enter the password:

    http://100.101.102.103:4096

    That's it. This URL works from your home Wi-Fi, a coffee shop, or cellular — anywhere your phone has internet.

Tip: enable MagicDNS and you can use the machine's name instead of the IP, e.g. http://my-laptop:4096.

Option 2 — Cloudflare Tunnel

A Cloudflare Tunnel gives your server a public HTTPS URL with no open ports. Good when you want a stable address (optionally on your own domain) rather than a private IP.

  1. Install cloudflared on your server

    Install Cloudflare's cloudflared daemon (see Cloudflare's downloads for your OS).

  2. Start opencode with a password

    OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD=yourpassword \
  opencode serve --hostname 127.0.0.1 --port 4096

    With a tunnel you can keep opencode bound to localhost — cloudflared connects to it locally and exposes it.

  3. Open a quick tunnel

    For a throwaway URL, no account needed:

    cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:4096

    It prints a URL like https://random-words.trycloudflare.com. For a permanent URL on your own domain, use a named tunnel instead.

  4. Connect from the app

    Add a connection in OpenCode Mobile using the full HTTPS URL and your password:

    https://random-words.trycloudflare.com

Option 3 — ngrok

ngrok is the fastest way to get a public URL for a quick test. Great for trying things out; for daily use prefer Tailscale or a named Cloudflare Tunnel.

  1. Install ngrok and add your authtoken

    # install per https://ngrok.com/download, then:
ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_TOKEN

  2. Run opencode with a password

    OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD=yourpassword \
  opencode serve --hostname 127.0.0.1 --port 4096

  3. Expose the port

    ngrok http 4096

    ngrok prints a forwarding URL like https://abcd-1234.ngrok-free.app.

  4. Connect from the app

    Use the ngrok HTTPS URL and your password in OpenCode Mobile. Note the URL changes each run on the free tier.

Remote-access troubleshooting

  • Connects on Wi-Fi but not remotely? You're likely using the LAN IP (192.168.x.x), which only works on the same network. Switch to the Tailscale IP or your tunnel URL.
  • Tailscale shows offline? Confirm both devices are signed into the same account and listed as connected in the Tailscale admin console, then retry the 100.x IP.
  • Tunnel URL refuses the connection? The tunnel must point at the exact port opencode is listening on. If opencode is on 127.0.0.1:4096, the tunnel target must be localhost:4096.
  • HTTPS tunnel but app can't connect? Use the full https:// URL with no trailing path. Don't mix http and https.
  • Wrong password? The app password must match OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD exactly.
  • Long task, flaky signal? The agent runs server-side, so work continues even if the phone disconnects. Reopen the app and reconnect to resume the session.

More fixes on the troubleshooting page.

Get the app and connect from anywhere

Set up Tailscale once and you'll reach your AI coding agent from your phone wherever you are — encrypted, with your keys staying on your own machine.

Get it on F-Droid Download APK Full setup guide

Related: How to use OpenCode on your phone · Setup guide · Troubleshooting.