Use Case
Run Your AI Agent From Your Phone
OpenClaw shipped official native apps for iOS and Android on June 29, 2026. The app puts your agent in your pocket — chat, voice, camera, approvals, and notifications. The one thing it needs is a gateway to connect to. That is the part we run for you.
The App Is the Remote. The Gateway Is the Brain.
The OpenClaw mobile app is a thin client — what OpenClaw calls a “node.” It does not run the AI itself. Instead, it pairs to an OpenClaw gateway over a secure WebSocket and acts as a window into it: send messages, talk hands-free, share your camera or screen, and approve actions. All the reasoning, model routing, memory, and skill execution happen on the gateway.
That design is great for privacy and control — nothing routes through a vendor cloud, your keys and data stay on your gateway. The catch: you have to run a gateway somewhere. On a laptop it goes to sleep. On a home server it needs setup, a public URL, and TLS. That is exactly the gap OpenClaw Launch fills.
Six Ways People Use Their Agent From the App
Agent in Your Pocket
Open the app, chat with your agent, and let it run real tasks — search, code, file work, web actions — while you are away from your desk. The heavy lifting happens on the gateway; your phone is the remote.
Talk Mode on the Move
Push-to-talk or continuous voice. Ask a question while walking, get a spoken answer back. Your agent listens, reasons, and replies hands-free.
Point and Ask
Grant camera access and your agent can see what you see — read a label, identify a part, translate a sign, or pull details from a document you hold up.
Approve From Anywhere
When your agent wants to run a sensitive action, it pings your phone for approval. Tap to allow or deny — you stay in control of every consequential step, even when you are out.
Share Into Your Agent
On iOS, use the system share extension to send a link, screenshot, or note straight to your agent from any app (Android integrates with Google Assistant for quick capture). It files, summarizes, or acts on it without a context switch.
Notifications That Matter
Long-running workflows, cron jobs, and channel replies push to your phone. Your agent reaches you when something finishes or needs you — not the other way around.
Pair the App to a Gateway We Host
Instead of standing up your own server, deploy a managed gateway in about 30 seconds, then pair the app to it. Your instance comes with HTTPS, an auth token, and networking already configured — no reverse proxy, no Docker, no SSH.
- Deploy an instance. Use the configurator on openclawlaunch.com. Your gateway is live with a public HTTPS URL the moment it boots.
- Install the app. Get it free from the App Store (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch) or Google Play.
- Enter your gateway URL. In the app's Connect tab, choose manual entry and paste your instance URL (for example
https://your-instance.openclawlaunch.com). - Pair and approve. The app sends a pairing request; approve it with your auth token / setup code from the dashboard. The status flips to Connected, and your phone is now a node on your agent.
Platform Guides
- OpenClaw Mobile App overview — what the apps do and how to connect
- OpenClaw on iPhone — iOS setup, Talk Mode, share sheet, Apple Watch
- OpenClaw Android app — install, connect, and the five tabs
App vs Messaging Channels
The native app is not the only way to reach your agent from a phone — OpenClaw also connects to Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord, which all have excellent mobile apps. Use the native app when you want voice, camera, screen, approvals, and a dedicated agent surface; use a messaging channel when you want the agent to live inside a chat app you already use all day. They are not mutually exclusive — one gateway can power the native app and every messaging channel at once.
Common Questions
Do I need to run my own server to use the app?
You need a gateway, but it does not have to be your own server. Deploy a managed gateway on OpenClaw Launch and pair the app to it — no server admin required. You can always self-host later if you want.
Is the app free?
Yes. The OpenClaw iOS and Android apps are free downloads. What you pay for is the gateway it connects to — either your own infrastructure, or a managed instance starting at $3/mo for the first month.
Can the app control my agent over cellular?
Yes, as long as the gateway is reachable over the internet. Managed instances are always publicly reachable over HTTPS, so the app works on cellular out of the box. A self-hosted LAN-only gateway needs Tailscale or a public URL first.
Does the app see my camera and location all the time?
No. Every device capability — camera, screen, location, contacts, calendar, photos — is gated by your phone's normal OS permissions, and you enable only the ones you want. The agent can only use what you grant.
Bottom Line
The OpenClaw mobile app turns your phone into a full-power remote for an AI agent that can actually do things. The only missing piece is a gateway that is always on — and that is a 30-second deploy away. Spin up a managed instance, pair the app, and run your agent from wherever your thumbs are.