Pin Claude Code's status
right next to your desk
With several Claude Code sessions running, you can tell at a glance who's working, who's waiting on you, and who's stuck — your iPhone sits next to the Mac, one side-glance is enough. When you need to switch, tap a card and your Mac jumps to the matching terminal.
Sound familiar?
- You've got 4 Claude Code sessions running and the only way to check progress is Cmd-Tab through every window.
- You'd love a status dashboard always visible, but it eats precious main-screen real estate.
- Single-screen dev — when Claude is running, even split-screen for docs feels cramped.
- You're on a 3rd-party API (CC Switch / a proxy), so the official Remote Control isn't an option.
- You want a status panel, just not enough to install a cloud service, sign up, and grant data permissions.
CC PEEK was built for exactly this.
Four states. Urgency at a glance.
Color and motion together form a visual gradient. The calmest state — Running — is barely there. The most urgent — Awaiting permission — actively pulses, so a side-glance is enough to tell you whether something needs you, and how badly.
Running
Claude is busy — no need to interrupt. The calmest visual, gentle breathing.
Waiting for input
Needs your text input. Present but not urgent — a warm amber prompt.
Awaiting permission
Needs you to approve a tool call. The most prominent — pulsing — pulls your eye instantly.
Unknown
Can't determine the current state. Neutral gray — no nudge, no alarm.
Built for multi-window workflows
CC Peek doesn't replace your terminal or Claude Code. It does one thing: turn status into an ambient signal you can read without switching windows.
A second screen
Stand your iPhone on a desk mount as a dashboard — every Claude Code session at a glance. The Mac side is non-invasive — Claude's behavior is untouched.
Tap to jump
Tap a card on the iPhone — the matching terminal window jumps to the front on Mac. With haptic feedback, it feels like a physical button.
Local connection
Same Wi-Fi LAN, via Apple MultipeerConnectivity + TLS encryption. No cloud, no login, no data collection.
Live duration tracking
How long each session has been in its current state, second-precise, refreshing every second. Across several sessions, you can spot who's been waiting longest at a glance.
Adaptive layout
1–6 cards fill the screen automatically. Portrait or landscape. Beyond 6 sessions, swipe to paginate. Never feels empty, never crowded.
Multi-terminal support
Terminal.app and iTerm2 — switches to the exact tab. Ghostty / Warp / VS Code embedded terminal — activates the window.
Three steps to set up. After that, it just runs.
CC Peek reads status via Claude Code's hook protocol and pushes it to your iPhone over the local network. Set up once, it's just there.
Install the Mac app
Drag the .dmg to Applications. First launch walks you through Automation and Local Network permissions, and writes the Claude Code hook config — Claude's behavior is untouched.
Install the iPhone app
Get CC Peek from the App Store. Open the app on the same Wi-Fi — both ends discover each other automatically. Confirm on the Mac and you're paired.
Stand the phone on your desk
Put it on a mount next to your monitor. Stay-awake is on by default — when Claude runs, it shows in real time. No further configuration.
How it stacks up
If you're already using a similar tool, here's how to tell them apart.
| CC Peek | Official Claude Remote Control | Other desktop monitors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd-party API support | ✓ | ✗ Official account required | ✓ |
| Standalone screen — no main-screen footprint | ✓ | — | ✗ |
| Monitor multiple sessions at once | ✓ | ✗ Single session | ✓ |
| One-tap return to the terminal tab | ✓ | ✗ | Partial |
| No internet required | ✓ Local network | ✗ Cloud | ✓ |
| Data stays on your machine | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | Free | Subscription | Varies |
Official Remote Control is positioned as "remote control" — keep working from your phone after you leave the Mac. If that's your scenario, and you accept an official account + cloud, it fits better. CC Peek doesn't do remote — it focuses purely on being a "side-screen while you sit at the Mac." You have to be next to the Mac.
Without / with CC Peek
When 4 Claude Code sessions are running, most of your time goes into polling each window to see what they're doing.
Without CC Peek
- ×Cmd-Tab through 4 terminal windows to check who's running
- ×Sometimes you miss the permission prompt and notice 10 minutes later
- ×Forget which working directory belongs to which task
- ×Status has to be inferred from scrolling logs
With CC Peek
- ✓One side-glance at the iPhone tells you the whole picture
- ✓"Awaiting permission" pulses — you'll never miss it
- ✓Each card is labeled with its directory — one-to-one match
- ✓Tap a card to jump straight to the matching window
Honest take — who fits and who doesn't
CC Peek isn't for everyone. If your scenario is below, just skip it.
Fits if
- You frequently run multiple Claude Code sessions at once
- Single screen / tight on screen real estate — you don't want a status panel taking up the main screen
- You use a 3rd-party API and can't use the official Remote Control
- You care about privacy and don't want AI tools talking to the cloud
- You have an iPhone (or are willing to dedicate an old one as a second screen)
Doesn't fit if
- You usually only run one Claude — the menu bar badge is enough
- You don't have an iPhone (no Android version yet)
- You want remote control (CC Peek doesn't do remote — you have to sit at the Mac)
- You expect detailed session history, token usage charts, etc. (not supported yet)
Frequently asked
Do I need an official claude.ai account?
No. CC Peek collects status locally via Claude Code's built-in hook mechanism — it doesn't care how you run Claude. Official account, 3rd-party API, CC Switch — all fine.
Does it upload my Claude conversations?
No. CC Peek only reads metadata provided by hooks (process status, tool call names, timestamps). It never reads or transmits any conversation, code, file, or token-usage data.
Do the Mac and iPhone have to be on the same Wi-Fi?
Yes. MultipeerConnectivity in practice requires a shared LAN. If your office Wi-Fi has client isolation (AP isolation) on, it might still not work — try a phone hotspot instead.
Which terminals are supported?
Full support (exact-tab switching): Terminal.app, iTerm2. Partial support (activate the app): Ghostty, Warp, VS Code embedded terminal. Not yet: tmux, SSH remote sessions.
Can one Mac connect to multiple iPhones?
Current version is one-to-one. A Mac connects to a single iPhone at a time. Multi-device support is on the roadmap.
Will keeping the iPhone app open drain the battery?
It only syncs in the foreground. iOS disconnects MPC in the background (a system limit). Plug the iPhone into power and keep the screen on — CC Peek's settings include a "Stay Awake" toggle.
Can I use it without an iPhone?
The Mac app works on its own — the menu bar icon shows the overall status, and clicking it opens a dashboard popover with every session. You'll lose the core "ambient side-screen" value, though.
Does it conflict with the official Claude Remote Control?
No conflict — you can run both. Different positioning: official Remote Control is "remote control"; CC Peek is "desktop side-screen."