Find the failing step.
Start with the connection stage in Details or Copy Diagnostics. Unlocking the app and authenticating to your Mac are separate steps.
Connect fails before authentication
Check that the Mac is awake, both Tailscale apps show connected, and the phone profile has the Mac’s correct address and port 22. Confirm Remote Login is enabled for your user. A Wi-Fi/cellular transition may temporarily interrupt the path.
The Mac rejects the phone key
Check the short Mac username. Confirm the exact public key shown on this phone is a single complete line in that user’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. Keep the folder permission 700 and the file permission 600. Never send a private key with a bug report.
Host verification fails
Compare the configured host key with /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub directly on the intended Mac. A changed key may mean a rebuilt Mac, a wrong address or an untrusted connection. Verify the cause before updating the profile.
tmux is missing, or the session is gone
On Mac, run command -v tmux and tmux list-sessions. Match the executable path and session name in the phone profile. If the original session ended, creating a new session is an explicit fresh start; it does not restore the old process.
Mac and phone show different work
Both clients must attach to the same tmux session and pane. An ordinary iTerm2 tab outside tmux is separate. Follow the shared-session check. Different client sizes can change the pane’s layout.
The keyboard hides controls
Tap Hide Keyboard in the terminal’s accessory row. Use the keyboard button in the header to show it again. Compose opens the native multiline editor. The TestFlight app opens directly to the remote terminal; development fixtures are not included.
Can I use multiple sessions?
Your Mac can run multiple tmux sessions. This beta has one saved profile and one active connection. Tap Sessions or swipe horizontally to switch the phone client. A confirmed native switch saves the reconnect target while Mac clients stay where they are. The manual tmux picker (Ctrl-B, then lowercase s) remains available, but manual switching does not update that saved target. See the switching guide.
Report the sequence, not your secrets.
Use Send Beta Feedback in TestFlight, or email chenrui333@gmail.com. Include:
- App build, iPhone model and iOS version.
- The action and connection stage that failed.
- Network transition, time to recovery, and automatic versus manual reconnect.
- Whether the same shell PID and composer draft survived.
- Sanitized Copy Diagnostics output, reviewed before sending.
Do not include private keys, passwords, prompts, terminal transcripts or screenshots showing secrets. Diagnostics are designed to omit terminal bytes; still review them for host information before sharing.