Grok Remote Control: Use Grok Build From Your Phone
Yes, you can control the Grok Build coding agent from your phone. Grok Build ships as a terminal agent with no remote interface, so the answer is a third-party layer. AFK Pilot links the Grok Build agent already running in your editor to a browser on any device. You pair once with a one-time code, then chat, review, and steer the same session from a phone, tablet, or another laptop.
I built it, and I also build the extension it connects to. Neither is affiliated with or endorsed by xAI.
Last updated: July 25, 2026.
At a glance
What it is. Remote control for the Grok Build agent running in your editor.
Runs on. Any modern browser. Installable as a phone app (PWA).
Setup. One-time pairing code. No tunnel, no VPN, no port forwarding.
Requires. Grok Build for VS Code (Community) v2.0.0 or newer, plus SuperGrok, X Premium+, or an xAI API key.
Editors. VS Code 1.106+ and Cursor 3.x.
Model. Whatever the agent is on. Grok 4.5 by default.
Free tier. 1 linked device, 100 messages a week, the full chat UI.
Paid. Unlimited devices and messages.
The problem this solves
Grok Build is a CLI agent. It runs where you started it, and it holds its state there. Start a long task, walk away, and the session is stranded on a machine you are not sitting at. The agent may be waiting on a permission prompt for twenty minutes while you are in another room.
The usual answers all put a network problem in front of the coding problem. SSH in from a phone terminal, expose a port, run a tunnel, or stand up a VPN mesh. Each works. Each also means the thing you set up first has nothing to do with the code you wanted to look at.
Three ways to reach a Grok Build session remotely
SSH and a phone terminal app. You set up SSH keys, a terminal emulator, and a reachable host. Traffic goes direct to your machine. Best for people who already live in a terminal.
A self-hosted Tailscale web UI. Projects like grok-remote and grok-remote-hub need a Tailscale tailnet on both devices plus the project itself. Traffic stays on your own mesh and never touches a third party. Best if you want zero external relay and do not mind the setup.
AFK Pilot. You enter a one-time pairing code in the extension. The extension dials out, so there is no inbound port to open. Messages are relayed in memory through the AFK Pilot server. Best if you want it working in a few minutes.
The honest trade is where the traffic goes. The Tailscale projects keep every byte on hardware you control, which is genuinely the stronger privacy posture, and if that matters most to you they are the right pick. AFK Pilot relays through a server and buys you a setup with no network configuration at all. Pick the one whose cost you would rather pay.
Set it up in three steps
Install the extension. Get Grok Build for VS Code (Community) from the VS Code Marketplace or the Open VSX Registry. It works in VS Code and Cursor, and installs the grok CLI for you if it is missing.
Link this device. In the extension, open the gear menu, choose Remote Control, then Sign in (link this device). The approval page opens in your browser. If the code is showing on a different machine, open /link and type it in by hand. Remote control ships in extension v2.0.0 and later, so update if you are on 1.x.
Open it on your phone. Visit afkpilot.com on the phone, sign in, and tap Install app to keep it one tap away.
That is the whole setup. There is no tunnel to keep alive, no port to forward, and no VPN to join.
What you can actually do from the phone
It is the same session, not a separate agent and not a chatbot discussing your code from a distance. The workspace, the repository, and the conversation history are the ones on your desk.
Send new work, not just read output
Watch tool calls and file exploration stream live
Approve permission prompts and answer the agent's questions
Switch the model and the reasoning effort
Fork a conversation to try a different direction without losing the original
Pick which workspace to open when you have several linked
Images work in both directions. Videos never leave your machine.
Privacy and what leaves your machine
Messages are relayed in memory and are never stored. Every linked device binds to your account and stays revocable from the server at any time, so a lost phone is a revocation rather than an incident.
This is a relay, so your prompts and the agent's replies do pass through it in transit. Your files stay on your machine, where the agent reads them locally. If a third-party relay is outside your threat model, use one of the Tailscale projects above instead. I would rather tell you that here than have you discover the architecture later.
Pricing
The free tier is one linked device and 100 messages a week, with the full chat interface. The paid tier removes both limits. A fair-use burst cap of 20 messages a minute applies on every plan.
The extension itself stays free to install. As of v2.0.0 it is licensed FSL-1.1-MIT (Fair Source): free to use, modify, and redistribute for any purpose except building a competing commercial product or service, and each release converts to plain MIT two years after it ships. Everything up to and including v1.8.1 was published under MIT and stays MIT. AFK Pilot is the hosted piece.
What this is not
Not a mobile IDE. You are steering an agent, not editing files by hand on a 6-inch screen.
Not a way to run Grok without a subscription. The agent underneath still needs SuperGrok, X Premium+, or an xAI API key. The free Grok tier does not include the CLI agent.
Not an xAI product. No official remote interface for Grok Build exists. This is a community layer over the official CLI.
Not a substitute for your machine staying on. The agent runs on your hardware. Since v2.0.1 the extension holds off idle sleep while a device is linked, so a turn you started from the phone is not cut short by the screensaver, and it releases that hold the moment you sign out. A closed lid still suspends on every operating system.
FAQ
Can I control Grok Build from my phone?
Yes. Install the Grok Build for VS Code (Community) extension, link the device with a one-time code, and open afkpilot.com on your phone. You get the same session your editor is running.
Is there an official remote control for the Grok coding agent?
No. xAI ships Grok Build as a CLI with a terminal UI and no remote interface. Every remote option today is third-party.
Do I need Tailscale or a VPN?
Not for AFK Pilot. Pairing is a one-time code. The self-hosted alternatives (grok-remote, grok-remote-hub) do require a Tailscale tailnet, which is the trade-off for keeping traffic entirely on your own network.
Do I have to expose a port or run a tunnel?
No. The extension dials out to the service, so there is nothing to forward and nothing to keep running.
Is my code sent to a server?
Your prompts and the agent's replies are relayed in memory and never stored. Your files stay on your machine, where the agent reads them locally. Videos never leave your machine.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser and installs as an app on both.
Is it free?
There is a free tier: one linked device and 100 messages a week. Paid removes both limits. The extension is free to install either way, and its source is public under FSL-1.1-MIT (Fair Source), which converts each release to plain MIT two years after it ships.
Does it work with Cursor?
Yes. The extension supports VS Code 1.106+ and Cursor 3.x, and AFK Pilot connects to the agent through the extension, so whatever the extension supports, this supports.
Can I start new work from my phone, or only review?
Both. You can send new instructions, not just approve what is already queued.
What happens if I lose my phone?
Revoke that device from the server. Every linked device is bound to your account and individually revocable, and signing out unlinks it on both ends.
Which model does it use?
Whichever the agent is on, and you can switch it from the phone. Grok Build defaults to Grok 4.5. Setup detail: How to Use Grok 4.5 in VS Code.
How is this different from the extension itself?
The extension is the GUI in your editor. AFK Pilot is the remote surface for the agent that extension is running. Full feature list: Grok Build for VS Code (Community). Deciding between GUI options first: Does Grok Build have a GUI?.