Check local coding agents from your phone

Start with the part of the tool that runs locally

Scroll sideways to see every column.

Events depend on the installed tool version. A connection does not cover every action. Follow the instructions in your installed AfterLid build.

Set up the Mac before watching the phone

1. Install the Mac app and use the phone setup page for the current iPhone or Android link.
2. Sign in with the same AfterLid account. On the Mac, complete Link this Mac and approve the account link.
3. Open AfterLid’s Settings on the Mac and find Agent Activity. For this lid open test, choose Awake under “When a connected agent works.” Local automatic power changes work without an AfterLid account; the linked account is needed for the phone view.
4. Choose Connect beside your provider, review its instructions and allow any hook trust prompt in the coding tool.
5. Start a new local session in the surface listed above. If you have several Macs, select the one doing this work on the phone.

For supported phone requests, follow the account connection instructions and review the “Allow trusted agent hooks to request an answer” option. Check the feature’s current account requirements before enabling it.

Use a task with an obvious end

Keep the Mac’s lid open. Open Activity on your phone, then paste this prompt into the connected coding agent:

Run only sleep 8, make no file changes, then reply AFTERLID_ACTIVITY_TEST_DONE.

Watch for working activity during the short task and an idle state after the response ends. A short task can finish between phone refreshes. If you miss it, repeat once while watching Activity. Check the Mac’s connection status too before assuming a missing phone event means the task did not run.

Installed hooks and received events tell different stories

Hooks installed means the local configuration was added. Events received means a valid hook reached AfterLid during this app session. The second label is historical evidence, not a statement that the agent is currently working.

Working, waiting and idle reflect the events the tool reports. Idle can mean that the agent finished a response while a background command continues. Check your build output, running process or produced file before treating the workload as complete.

Test supported requests before relying on them

Phone status is available on Free; remote power mode changes require Pro. Supported phone approval features depend on the account’s current entitlements, the provider and the request type. Gemini CLI approvals remain local. Other connections do not expose every possible action.

Use a low risk request you understand to check any supported approval flow while you are still at the Mac. Review the details before responding. If a request is missing or expires, return to the coding tool’s local prompt. An unanswered request is not an approval.

Keep the distinction between local work and shared details

The task runs in its original tool on your Mac. Linked phone features relay status, and supported requests can include limited text, file paths and code excerpts. Redaction reduces what is shared but cannot guarantee that every sensitive detail is removed. Read the privacy policy before connecting sensitive work.

If activity does not arrive, check the selected Mac, account link, provider surface and hook trust settings, then start a new local session. Keep the laptop ventilated with the lid open for these steps. Always On has separate helper setup and bounded sessions; put a working Mac to sleep before packing it away.