Rho runs on a server. You connect from your iPhone using an SSH client. The agent keeps running when you disconnect -- reconnect anytime and pick up where you left off.
iPhone (Termius) --SSH--> Server (Rho in tmux)
- A server running Rho (home machine, VPS, or cloud instance)
- An SSH client on your iPhone (Termius recommended, or Blink Shell)
SSH into your server from a computer (or do this from your phone):
npm install -g @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent @rhobot-dev/rho
rho init && rho sync
rho loginThe installer sets up a mobile-friendly tmux config automatically.
Start Rho:
rho- Install Termius from the App Store
- Open Termius and tap + to add a new host
- Enter your server's hostname/IP, username, and SSH key or password
- Tap the host to connect
Once connected:
rhoThat's it. You're talking to your agent.
When your iPhone sleeps or you close Termius, the SSH connection drops but Rho keeps running in tmux on the server. When you reconnect:
rhoThis reattaches to the existing session. Nothing is lost -- scroll up to see what happened while you were away. The heartbeat kept running the whole time.
Keyboard toolbar: Termius has a configurable toolbar above the keyboard. Add these keys for a better Rho experience:
Ctrl(for tmux prefix Ctrl-a)Tab(for pi autocompletion)Esc(for canceling)- Arrow keys (for scrolling/navigation)
Font size: Settings > Terminal > Font Size. 14-16pt works well on iPhone, 12-14pt on iPad.
Keep alive: Settings > Terminal > SSH Keep Alive. Set to 30 seconds to prevent idle disconnects.
Snippets: Save rho as a Termius snippet so you can run it with one tap after connecting.
If your server is a home machine (Mac Mini, Raspberry Pi, old laptop), use Tailscale for remote access without port forwarding:
- Install Tailscale on your server: https://tailscale.com/download
- Install Tailscale on your iPhone from the App Store
- Sign in to both with the same account
- In Termius, use the Tailscale IP (100.x.x.x) as your host address
Tailscale is free for personal use (up to 100 devices).
No home server? See VPS setup guide for options starting at $0/month (Oracle Cloud free tier).
Rho's tmux config uses Ctrl-a as the prefix (not the default Ctrl-b -- easier on mobile).
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Detach (leave running) | Ctrl-a d |
| Split vertical | Ctrl-a | |
| Split horizontal | Ctrl-a - |
| Switch pane | Alt + arrow |
| Scroll up | Ctrl-a [ then arrows |
| Exit scroll | q |
| Reload config | Ctrl-a r |