The SSH Terminal Built for AI agent operators
iOS, iPadOS, visionOS
ShellDrop is a fast, focused, native terminal app designed for AI agent operators managing Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, and Hermes on headless machines. Tmux-aware, designed around real human-agent flow and gestures.
Human-agent flow through intuitive organic design.
Built native in SwiftUI for iOS 17+ and iPadOS, optimized for iOS 26. visionOS coming soon.
Clean. Precise. Active. Alive.
built for AI agents
Designed for thumbs, voice, and tmux.
tmux scroll with one finger
Single-finger swipe through tmux history. A soft scroll-direction indicator fades in during a scrollback burst.
One-tap keyboard retract
The terminal resizes dynamically when the keyboard appears. One tap to dismiss, one tap to bring it back.
Multiple sessions in tabs
SSH sessions to different hosts open in tabs. Swipe horizontally between them. Rename a tab by long-pressing it.
Sessions that survive app switching
Background persistence keeps your connection alive when you leave the app. Auto-reconnect if it does drop.
Tmux tab sync
Tabs stay in sync with your tmux windows on the server. Switch windows on the host and the tabs follow.
Choose your own terminal colors
Pick the palette that suits you. Set foreground, background, and accent colors so the terminal reads the way you want.
Edit the keyboard toolbar
Rearrange the accessory toolbar above the keyboard. Put the keys you reach for most where your thumbs land.
Claude Code Terminal on iOS via SSH.
A typical ShellDrop setup: Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, Hermes, or any AI coding agent runs in a tmux session on a headless Mac Mini at home or a VPS. The phone or iPad reaches the machine over SSH (often via Tailscale). Attach to the session, scroll through agent output, fire commands, switch between agents in tabs.
Optimized for a native iPad experience
Full support including iPad Pro 13-inch. Magic Keyboard works with the accessory toolbar centre-aligned. Trackpad scrolls the terminal.
13-inch iPad Pro M4, horizontal orientation.
What's inside.
Secure Enclave-backed SSH keys
TOFU host key verification
Credentials in the Keychain
iCloud sync across devices
One tap, one command.
An opt-in toolbar button that fires a user-configured string over the current SSH session. Set the command in Settings, tap to send. Built originally for custom memory systems like MemPalace, but the string is whatever you want it to be. Off by default.
vs the other iOS SSH apps.
Side-by-sides with the apps people are choosing between when they pick an iOS SSH client. Each page covers what the app does and where it fits relative to ShellDrop.
Common questions.
Tap to expand. See the full FAQ for everything else.
Why does this app feel different from other SSH terminal apps?
Mostly because it's not clunky and it's optimized for iOS 26.
What was your design thesis?
My design thesis starts with a mental model. Every session you open is a droplet, and every session is open inside tmux and focused on a singular task.
Why do you recommend Wispr Flow?
In our own personal testing, we found Wispr Flow to be the best voice-to-text keyboard for agent terminal work. It's not perfect, but it is the best. Click here to use our Refer a friend link. Full writeup: Willow Voice vs Wispr Flow.
How much does ShellDrop cost?
ShellDrop is currently free.
Does ShellDrop support SSH keys?
Yes, as of v4.1.0. Generate Ed25519 or Secure Enclave-backed P-256 keys in-app, or paste-import existing OpenSSH-format private keys. The Secure Enclave option keeps the private key inside the iPhone's secure hardware and ShellDrop never holds the bytes.
Does ShellDrop support tmux?
Yes. Single-finger scroll through tmux scrollback without entering copy mode. Shift-Tab, Esc, Ctrl-C, arrow keys, and a dedicated tmux detach button are always visible on the toolbar.
Will my session stay alive when I switch apps?
Yes. Opt-in background persistence uses iOS location services to keep the SSH connection alive when you switch apps or lock the phone. Off by default. Toggle in Settings > Session Persistence.
Does ShellDrop collect telemetry?
No analytics, no telemetry, no third-party SDKs. Connection data stays between your device and your server.
What do you want next?
ShellDrop ships fast. If there's a feature you want, send it. Every request gets read.
SSH client for iPhone and iPad.
No subscription. Every feature ships with the app.
Download on the App Store