Getting Started
Install the bridge, download the iOS app, and connect to your AI agents in minutes.
What is TetherClaw?
TetherClaw is a mobile access layer for AI agent platforms. It lets you chat with your AI agents, check their status, and approve their actions — from your iPhone, anywhere, without a VPN or port forwarding.
Your agents run on your Mac or Linux machine as they always have. TetherClaw adds a lightweight bridge that connects your machine to a relay server. The iOS app connects to that relay. Everything flows through an encrypted WebSocket. Your Mac never needs to be exposed to the internet.
iPhone → relay.tetherclaw.app → your Mac → your AI agentsSession state lives on the relay, not on your phone. Switch from WiFi to cellular mid-conversation and your session picks up exactly where it left off.
Requirements
Before you install TetherClaw, you need:
- macOS or Linux on the machine running your agents
- Node.js v18 or newer — check with
node --version - One of the supported platforms running on that machine: OpenClaw (fully supported at launch), Hermes Agent (fully supported at launch) — more platforms coming soon
- A TetherClaw API key — get one at tetherclaw.app after signing up
Install the Bridge
The bridge is a small background process that connects your machine to the TetherClaw relay. It runs on your Mac, Linux machine, or VPS — the install command is the same regardless. If OpenClaw is already running somewhere, this is all you need.
OpenClaw (default):
curl -fsSL https://tetherclaw.app/install.sh | TC_API_KEY=tc-your-key-here bashReplace tc-your-key-here with the API key from your tetherclaw.app dashboard.
The installer:
- 1Downloads the bridge script to
~/.tetherclaw/ - 2Writes your API key to
~/.tetherclaw/config.json - 3Installs a background service that starts automatically on login
- macOS: LaunchAgent (
~/Library/LaunchAgents/app.tetherclaw.bridge.plist) - Linux: systemd user service (tetherclaw-bridge)
When it finishes, you'll see: ✅ TetherClaw bridge active (OpenClaw)
Useful commands (macOS):
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Check logs | tail -f ~/Library/Logs/TetherClaw/bridge.log |
| Stop bridge | launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/app.tetherclaw.bridge.plist |
| Restart bridge | launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/app.tetherclaw.bridge |
Useful commands (Linux):
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Check logs | journalctl --user -u tetherclaw-bridge -f |
| Stop bridge | systemctl --user stop tetherclaw-bridge |
| Restart bridge | systemctl --user restart tetherclaw-bridge |
Running on a VPS? If your bridge disconnects after a server reboot, enable linger so the service starts without a logged-in session:
loginctl enable-linger $USERDownload the iOS App
Search for TetherClaw on the App Store, or find the direct link at tetherclaw.app.
Connect via QR Code or API Key
Option A — QR code (easiest):
- 1Log in to tetherclaw.app
- 2Go to your dashboard — a QR code is displayed
- 3Open the TetherClaw app and tap Scan QR Code
- 4Point your camera at the QR code
- 5The app connects automatically
Option B — Enter API key manually:
- 1Open the TetherClaw app
- 2Tap Enter API Key
- 3Type or paste your key (format:
tc-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx) - 4Tap Connect
Once connected, the app shows a green gateway indicator and lists your available agents. If the bridge is running and your API key is valid, you're ready to go.