A spare Android phone makes a good status pad for your coding agents. With Orbtile Mobile it shows one tile per Claude Code, Codex, ZCode, Antigravity or Kimi Code session, puts the one that’s waiting first, and lets you answer supported requests from the phone. It needs Android 8.0 or later and Orbtile on your computer.
What you need
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Phone | Android 8.0 or later. For iPhone (iOS 17 or later), Orbtile Mobile is on the App Store. |
| Computer | A Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, or a Windows 11 PC (x64), running Orbtile |
| Network | Phone and computer on the same local network |
| Account | An Orbtile account, used on both |
Phones don't count toward the number of computers on your account. On a Windows PC, Claude Code, Codex, ZCode and Antigravity are all supported from Orbtile 0.3.0, and Kimi Code from 0.3.6.
What the phone shows
- A tile per session, with its name, state (Thinking, Tool, Writing, Waiting, Done) and its latest words, over the same animated orb as on the Logitech MX Creative Keypad.
- Waiting sessions first. A session that needs you moves to the front and glows in its agent's alarm colour.
- Tap or hold. A tap on a tile opens that session's window on your computer. A hold opens its focus view: the latest response, its tools and helpers, and history.
- Answers from the phone. Permission requests and supported questions get their own decision area. Allow needs a hold, so a brushed screen never approves anything.
Set it up
- On your computer, install Orbtile from the download page and sign in (Settings > Account).
- Turn on Phone pad: Settings > Keypad > Phone pad, on a Mac or on Windows.
- On Windows, the first time, allow Orbtile when Windows Security asks about networks, so the phone can reach the PC. Orbtile only listens on private networks.
- On the phone, join Orbtile Mobile early access on Google Play from the download page, then install Orbtile Mobile from Google Play.
- Open Orbtile Mobile and sign in with the same account.
After that, Google Play keeps Orbtile Mobile up to date.
Where the data goes
The tiles and your taps go directly between the phone and your computer on your local network. They're never sent to our servers. Your account is only used for the phone to find your computer.
Phone or keypad?
| Android phone | Logitech MX Creative Keypad | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | A phone you already have | Bought separately |
| Answers | Tap and hold on screen | Physical keys, hold to allow |
| Text | More room for the latest response | Short lines across the keys |
| Setup | Sign in on both | Plug in, no account |
You can use both at once with the same sessions.
To compare an Android phone against the Logitech MX Keypad, the MX Creative Console and Elgato's own virtual keypads, see Stream Deck alternatives for developers and coding agents.
FAQ
Is there an iPhone version?
Yes. Orbtile Mobile for iPhone (iOS 17 or later) is on the App Store: get it from the download page.
Does the phone need to stay on the same Wi-Fi?
Yes. The phone talks to your computer over your local network.
Can I use the phone and the keypad together?
Yes. Both show the same sessions, and you can answer from either.