Remote Coding With Local AI Agents

The scenario: a coding agent is working on a repository on your desk machine — with your credentials, your dev servers, your private network — and you need to leave. Remote coding in VibeAround means the work stays exactly where it is, and your phone or another browser becomes a controlled door back into it.

This is different from moving work into a hosted cloud IDE. Nothing gets cloned into a provider-managed container; browser, mobile, Web Terminal, messaging, and preview surfaces all lead back to the same local workspace.

When To Use This

• A coding agent is already running on a trusted laptop, desktop, workstation, or server.
• The project depends on local credentials, local services, private networks, hardware, or desktop tools.
• You need to step away from the keyboard but still review, approve, or redirect the session.
• You want remote reach without cloning the repository into a hosted cloud workspace.

The Walkthrough

Fifteen minutes if VibeAround is already installed; add ten for a first install.

1. Install VibeAround — desktop app from the releases page, or npm i -g @vibearound/cli then va serve for headless setups (install and onboarding).
2. Verify the agent works locally. Open the dashboard (tray → Dashboard, or the URL from va status), go to Web Chat, and give it a real task in your repository. The first message creates the thread automatically (quick tour).
3. Connect one messaging channel. Telegram is the fastest first one: create the bot on Telegram's side, then paste its token into the desktop channel screen — or add it under channels.telegram in settings.json and run va channel sync (connect channels). Your bot chat is now a full agent conversation with tappable permission cards.
4. Move a terminal session to your pocket. In an agent CLI launched through VibeAround, run the handover tool (/vibearound handover) — you get a short code, valid for two minutes. In the bot chat, type /pickup <code>. Same context, same workspace, continue where you left off.
5. For browser access away from home, enable a tunnel. The first visit from a remote browser shows a 6-digit pairing gate before anything is reachable (tunnels and remote access).

Pick Your Remote Surface

Safety Checklist

• Confirm who can reach the session — channel membership and browser pairing are the access boundary.
• Keep tunnels disabled until remote access is actually needed.
• Treat Web Terminal and messaging bots as privileged control surfaces; protect them like shell access.
• Use scoped preview links instead of broad access.
• Stop or archive sessions that should no longer accept input.

Review the security model before enabling tunnels or public-facing links.

Related Docs

• Session handover
• Remote Messaging & Web Terminal
• Codex on mobile · Claude Code remote · Gemini CLI remote · OpenCode remote

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