Mobile SSH - Android SSH client

4 min read Original article ↗

QR code linking to mobile-ssh.github.io

Android SSH client

A focused SSH client for Android with multi-session terminals, private key authentication, SFTP file transfer, local port forwarding, and tmux-aware controls built for phone and tablet use.

Available in 20 languages · version 1.9

Join the beta · or email mobile.ssh.info@gmail.com to request private beta access

Single-session SSH terminal on a phone with the extra key row at the bottom.

Why Mobile SSH

Built around the things mobile SSH clients tend to get wrong.

No Pro tier, no ads

Every feature is in the same app. No paywall splitting essential workflows behind a Pro upgrade, no ad banners on the terminal.

Your data stays local

Saved servers, credentials, and keys live on the device. No cloud account; nothing to be sunset.

Saved hosts, search to connect

Add a host once, then search and tap to connect — keys, ports, and tunnels come with it.

Agent alerts

Get a notification — with sound and vibration — the moment Claude Code, Codex, or another remote agent needs your input. Plays in headphones even over video.

Terminal keys above the IME

Dedicated row with ESC, TAB, CTRL, ALT, FN, arrows, Home, End, PgUp/PgDn — without fighting Gboard suggestions.

Port forwarding without commands

Tunnels attach to the server profile and come up automatically when you connect.

Survives lock and roaming

Foreground service, wake locks, and auto-reconnect keep shells alive through screen-off, app switches, and network changes.

Built around Android SSH work

Mobile SSH keeps the common admin path short: save a server, connect, keep sessions alive, move files when needed, and get back to active terminals quickly.

SSH terminal

xterm-256color terminal emulation with 5000-line scrollback, color, cursor keys, copy/share, and pinch-to-zoom text sizing.

Multi-session grid

Up to eight SSH sessions in a resizable grid — tap a pane to focus, double-tap for fullscreen, pinch to resize text.

Clickable links

URLs in the terminal are underlined and open in the browser with a tap — no copying or switching apps needed.

Server folders

Organize saved servers into collapsible groups. Tap a group header to collapse it; the folder structure carries into the quick-connect picker.

Agent alerts

Notification with sound and vibration when a remote agent (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) needs your input. Plays in headphones even during video calls.

Private keys

Password or private key auth. Generate Ed25519, ECDSA, or RSA keys on device; import or paste existing keys.

SFTP transfer

Dual-pane file browser tied to an active SSH session. Queue uploads and downloads, rename, delete, and inspect remote permissions.

Port forwarding

Save local tunnel specs with a server profile — tunnels open automatically on connect, or add/remove them while connected.

Reconnect workflow

Foreground service, wake locks, keepalives, and exponential-backoff reconnect keep sessions alive through screen-off and roaming.

Backup & restore

Export saved servers and credentials to an encrypted backup file; import with merge or replace to move between devices.

One screen, several live shells

The terminal view can hold multiple active SSH sessions in a grid. Select a pane to type, use the extra key row for terminal controls, pinch to adjust text size, and double-tap a pane when you need fullscreen focus.

Session history and active-session recovery help you return to current work after app switches, screen lock, or Android activity recreation.

Mobile SSH on a phone showing two live SSH terminal sessions in a side-by-side split view.

Mobile SSH file transfer screen on a phone with local and remote file panes.

SFTP when the terminal is not enough

Open file transfer from a connected session to browse phone storage and remote directories. Queue uploads and downloads, sort files, remember recent paths per host, and inspect remote file permissions when deciding what to move.

See it on a real device

Screenshots from Android phones — the same screens you'll use to add servers, work in terminals, run multiple sessions, and move files over SFTP.

See it in action

Short demos of recent features — server folders with collapsible groups and tappable links in the terminal.

How it fits beside Termux and Termius

Mobile SSH is intentionally narrow: it is not a full Linux environment and it is not a cross-platform team vault. It is a local Android SSH/SFTP tool with fast access to the session controls mobile users need most.