Copilot sessions tend to start in the same place: a real computer with a real repo.

Then the moment you step away, you want the same phone workflow everyone wants:

• check whether it’s still running
• see what it changed
• send one follow-up

This guide is the provider-specific setup that makes that feel sane.

TL;DR

1. Install Copilot CLI on the computer that will run sessions and verify it works.
2. Log in on that computer (auth is machine-local).
3. Use a 2-minute phone loop: check → approvals → one follow-up → leave.

The problem

Copilot is local-repo-first.

So the phone workflow is about:

• visibility
• small interventions

Not about turning your phone into the primary editor.

What I tried first (and where I bounced off)

• SSH from phone

• remote desktop

• waiting

• Happier: it gives you a phone UI for check-ins, approvals, and one follow-up. Trade-off: it still depends on the computer running the session being online.

If you’re new to Happier (what it is, and where to get it)

If you haven’t seen Happier before: it’s an open-source companion app (mobile/web/desktop) for coding sessions.

Get set up:

• GitHub: https://github.com/happier-dev/happier
• Install/download: https://github.com/happier-dev/happier#how-it-works
• Discord: https://discord.gg/W6Pb8KuHfg

Step 1: install Copilot

From provider docs, verify the CLI runs.

Step 2: login (machine-local)

Copilot login is machine-local.

If you have two computers, each one needs its own auth state.

Step 3: phone loop

The 2-minute loop (what I actually do)

1. open session
2. check approvals
3. send one follow-up
4. leave

Three copy/paste follow-ups

1. Checkpoint

Stop after your next step and summarize:

• what you changed
• what you didn’t change
• what you want to do next

2. Constraint

Don’t touch migrations/auth. If you think you need to, stop and ask.

3. Diff-first

Before you keep going, list the files you modified and why (one sentence each).

Troubleshooting

The session isn’t updating

• confirm the host computer is online
• reload/reopen the session
• check whether it’s waiting on approval

I’m logged in on my laptop but Copilot is logged out on my server

Copilot auth is machine-local. Each computer needs its own login.

If you’re new to Happier

Happier is one option for running Copilot sessions on your computer and monitoring them from your phone.

Get set up:

• GitHub: https://github.com/happier-dev/happier
• Install/download: https://github.com/happier-dev/happier#how-it-works
• Discord: https://discord.gg/W6Pb8KuHfg