tmux · iOS
tmux on iOS: attach your tmux sessions from iPhone & iPad
There is no official tmux app for iOS, and you don't need one. What you actually want is to reach the tmux sessions already running on your own machine, from your phone or tablet, and pick up exactly where you left off. That is what QuickTUI does.
tmux keeps your terminal sessions alive on the machine: long builds, agents, log tails, and SSH shells all survive after you disconnect. The missing piece has always been a good way to reach them from an iPhone or iPad. QuickTUI is a native iOS client (plus iPad and browser) that attaches to those sessions over your own machine, with no third party in the middle.
What an "iOS tmux client" should do
- Attach, not re-run. Your session lives on the machine between attaches; opening the app drops you back into the live view, output intact.
- Real terminal, not a chat box. tmux windows, panes, scrollback, and copy-mode: the same view on iPhone, iPad, and the browser.
- Survive the network. Wi-Fi to LTE to 5G, backgrounding the app, or a dropped connection shouldn't lose your place.
- Stay yours. Self-hosted and direct by default, so your code and keys never pass through someone else's cloud.
Set it up (about two minutes)
Install QuickTUI on the machine where your tmux sessions run. It sets up the service. On macOS/Linux install tmux 3.2+ yourself first (the installer does not install tmux). On Windows it installs the qscn session backend automatically.
macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://quicktui.ai/q.sh | shWindows (PowerShell)
irm https://quicktui.ai/q.ps1 | iexWindows note: the session backend is qscn, not tmux. Create sessions with New Session in the app; the tmux new-session examples below apply to macOS/Linux.
Then pair the app with the platform commands below, or add a server manually by URL and token.
# macOS / Linux
quicktui-server --pair-qrcode
# Windows (PowerShell)
& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\QuickTUI\quicktui-server.exe" --pair-qrcodeOpen a session and you are attached. For the step-by-step version, see attach a tmux session from your phone.
Is it actually tmux?
Yes. On macOS and Linux, QuickTUI drives real tmux on your machine; it is not a re-implementation. Your existing
~/.tmux.conf, key bindings, windows, and panes all apply. If tmux isn't installed on macOS/Linux,
install tmux 3.2+ yourself (the installer does not install it); you can point QuickTUI at a specific binary with
QUICKTUI_TMUX_BIN. On Windows the backend is qscn, installed automatically.
At a glance
| Capability | QuickTUI |
|---|---|
| Native iPhone & iPad app | Yes |
| Browser client | Yes, served by your own machine |
| Real tmux (windows, panes, scrollback) | Yes |
| Self-hosted, direct connection | Yes, code never touches our servers |
| Session keeper across disconnects | Yes |
| Price | Free for one machine; Pro is a one-time purchase |
FAQ
Is there an official tmux app for iOS?
No. tmux is a server-side program; there is no first-party iOS app. QuickTUI is a native iOS client that attaches to tmux running on your own machine.
Do I need SSH?
No. QuickTUI talks to its own lightweight server over HTTP/WebSocket. You can reach it on your LAN, over a VPN or tunnel (Tailscale, Cloudflare Tunnel), or a public address.
Does it work on iPad?
Yes. The same app and the same live session run on iPhone and iPad, and in any browser.