---
summary: "Remote access using SSH tunnels (Gateway WS) and tailnets"
read_when:
  - Running or troubleshooting remote gateway setups
---
# Remote access (SSH, tunnels, and tailnets)

This repo supports “remote over SSH” by keeping a single Gateway (the master) running on a host (e.g., your Mac Studio) and connecting clients to it.

- For **operators (you / the macOS app)**: SSH tunneling is the universal fallback.
- For **nodes (iOS/Android and future devices)**: prefer the Gateway **Bridge** when on the same LAN/tailnet (see `docs/discovery.md`).

## The core idea

- The Gateway WebSocket binds to **loopback**: `ws://127.0.0.1:18789`.
- For remote use, you forward that loopback port over SSH (or use a tailnet/VPN and tunnel less).

## SSH tunnel (CLI + tools)

Create a local tunnel to the remote Gateway WS:

```bash
ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@host
```

With the tunnel up:
- `clawdis health` and `clawdis status --deep` now reach the remote gateway via `ws://127.0.0.1:18789`.
- `clawdis gateway {status,health,send,agent,call}` can also target the forwarded URL via `--url` when needed.

## CLI remote defaults

You can persist a remote target so CLI commands use it by default:

```json5
{
  gateway: {
    mode: "remote",
    remote: {
      url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
      token: "your-token"
    }
  }
}
```

When the gateway is loopback-only, keep the URL at `ws://127.0.0.1:18789` and open the SSH tunnel first.

## Chat UI over SSH

WebChat no longer uses a separate HTTP port. The SwiftUI chat UI connects directly to the Gateway WebSocket.

- Forward `18789` over SSH (see above), then connect clients to `ws://127.0.0.1:18789`.
- On macOS, prefer the app’s “Remote over SSH” mode, which manages the tunnel automatically.

## macOS app “Remote over SSH”

The macOS menu bar app can drive the same setup end-to-end (remote status checks, WebChat, and Voice Wake forwarding).

Runbook: `docs/mac/remote.md`.

## Legacy control channel

Older builds experimented with a newline-delimited TCP control channel on the same port.
That API is deprecated and should not be relied on. (Historical reference: `docs/control-api.md`.)