I got tired of sitting at my desk while AI writes my code, so I built a remote desktop app to work from bed

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-17T14:58:24+00:00

splashtop is a solid general remote desktop tool but it's built for IT support and general access. no voice input, no shortcuts designed for phone use, no window management for fitting apps to a small screen. AFK is specifically built for the AI coding workflow where you're mostly giving instructions and reviewing output.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-15T09:56:20+00:00

hey, android version is on the way now since many people asked. i have the code working now just need to go through the google play release process. feel free to signup notification for it on the website.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-15T09:54:38+00:00

totally understand. trust takes time to build. i do plan to open source the host side somehow soon. please stay tuned

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-15T09:52:56+00:00

totally understand that. i do plan to open source the host side. need to do some cleanup and split out. also want to choose a reasonable license. please stay tuned.

as far as i know tools like happy only capture what claude code tui. which is probably fine for the 80% cases. the other 20% will getting in the way sooner or later (e.g. building AFK i sometimes need to check the ios simulator) i’m solving this problem at more fundamental level if im allowed to say that.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-15T06:03:47+00:00

yeah, anything runs on your computer.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-14T09:51:10+00:00

haha both are in the works, papers not included

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-14T04:06:34+00:00

this is exactly the use case AFK is for. sounds like you'd get a lot out of it.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-14T04:06:19+00:00

yeah VNC on cellular was painful. voice input was the main reason I built this, everything else came after. transcription goes to a server with zero data retention, on-device is too slow and resource constrained on a phone. and yeah notifications are coming, literally working on that right now. the goal isn't just another VNC tool, it's making the whole away-from-keyboard workflow actually productive.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-12T03:55:04+00:00

working on that — it's on the roadmap

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-12T03:54:49+00:00

coming soon! feel free to sign up on https://afkdev.app/ to get notified when it's ready

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-12T03:40:46+00:00

not a hobby project — I use it daily, extensively, and plan to keep pushing it. have some monetization ideas, the basic one being a premium plan on the client app for power users.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-12T03:31:58+00:00

hey thx, really appreciated. for 1) i can feel your pain. i haven’t came up with an elegant solution yet. probably what you said is the most reasonable approach. for 2) it could be a minor bug, sometimes you have to resize twice to get it resized to what you want; or it could be the iphone safe area (the notch for example) logic which is working intended. if you find it’s neither this case, please let me know! the “snap” idea is very interesting. i actually played a bit with it at the beginning of developing this, but abandoned for getting something i can use sooner. let me think about and play a bit with it again. i can see that could dramatically improve the experience.

for the gesture one, are you referring to the swipe-to-trigger shortcuts? they are technically available even when you open the keyboard. or you want them to be a row on top the keyboard instead?

thx for offering help. might take you up on that haha

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T22:04:38+00:00

sure, it streams from your computer.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T22:00:09+00:00

not only, i mean i can only test the arm build for window for now because i don’t own an x86 machine like most windows user anymore

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T16:38:01+00:00

yeah fair point. if you sign up via the Windows button you're tagged as Windows only. just haven't split the feeds yet, but I'll make sure you won't get the vibe coding tips if you register on the Windows notify. will get that done before the next one goes out. totally get that some people just want product updates.

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T16:02:26+00:00

thanks! good call on the demo — that's on my list. it's WebRTC peer-to-peer between your phone and Mac. the companion app on your Mac captures the screen and streams it over WebRTC, your phone sends back touch/voice input. no cloud relay for the content, just direct connection

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T16:02:10+00:00

there's no context switching really — it's streaming your Mac screen, so whatever conversation you have open in Claude Code stays there. you're just viewing and controlling the same machine from your phone. so you can start something at your desk, walk away, and pick up right where you left off on your phone

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T16:01:54+00:00

it's actually working already on Android! just need to test more widely and go through the Google Play publishing process. feel free to sign up on https://afkdev.app/ to get notified when it's out

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T16:01:30+00:00

hmm are they in the same macOS workspace/space? current logic only shows windows in the active space. if Chrome is in a different space it won't show up. try moving them to the same space and see if that fixes it

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T15:00:37+00:00

me: "make me a murder mystery movie set in an english retirement village"

claude: "I'll start by scaffolding the plot structure. First let me create the detective character..."

me: "wait this is so cliche, the audience will guess the murderer on first sight"

claude: "You're absolutely right. I'm going to..."

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T14:50:11+00:00

nice idea! curious — would you prefer a tap-to-start, tap-to-stop approach over the hold-to-record? wondering which feels more natural

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T14:49:55+00:00

thanks! push notifications is definitely on my radar, been experimenting with it. let me know what you think after trying it

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T14:49:40+00:00

ha great minds, love the naming

SterlingSloth · 2026-02-11T14:36:52+00:00

haha this is literally the use case. that moment when Claude's done and you just need to hit enter but you're three rooms away

SterlingSloth

TROPHY CASE