SSH from an Android phone to a Linux server

To SSH from an Android phone to a Linux server, make sure the OpenSSH server is running on the Linux machine, then connect from an SSH app on the phone with the server's address, port 22 and your Linux user name. Use a password the first time and move to an SSH key once it works.

This guide covers Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora style servers, and the habits that make a phone terminal pleasant to use.

What you need

A Linux machine you can log in to: a desktop, a home server, a Raspberry Pi or a VPS.
Its IP address or domain name.
A user account on it with a password, or an SSH key.
An SSH client app on the phone.

Step 1: Install and start the SSH server on Linux

Most VPS images already run SSH. On a desktop install you may need to add it.

Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable --now ssh

Fedora, Rocky and AlmaLinux:

sudo dnf install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable --now sshd

Check that it is listening:

sudo ss -tlnp | grep ssh

Step 2: Find the address to connect to

On a machine in your home or office:

hostname -I

For a VPS, use the public IP shown in your provider's dashboard, or a domain name that points to it.

Remember that private addresses (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x) only work when the phone is on the same network or connected through a VPN.

Step 3: Allow SSH through the firewall

sudo ufw allow 22/tcp

On firewalld systems:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

A cloud server also needs port 22 open in its provider firewall or security group.

Step 4: Connect from the phone

In your SSH app create a connection with:

Field	Example
Host	`192.168.1.30` or `server.example.com`
Port	`22`
User	`deploy`
Auth	password, or a private key

The first time you connect, the app shows the server's host key fingerprint. To confirm it is really your server, run this on the server and compare the result:

ssh-keygen -lf /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub

Accept the key and you are in.

Step 5: Move to key login

Keys are safer than passwords and you will not type a password on a phone keyboard again.

Generate an Ed25519 key in your SSH app.
Copy the public key.
On the server, add it to your user's authorized keys:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh && chmod 700 ~/.ssh
echo "PASTE-PUBLIC-KEY-HERE" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Attach the key to the connection on the phone and reconnect.

When it works, consider turning off password login in /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

PasswordAuthentication no

Then restart SSH with sudo systemctl restart ssh (or sshd). Keep your current session open while you test a new one, so a mistake cannot lock you out.

Step 6: Make the phone terminal comfortable

A few habits help a lot on a small screen:

Use tmux so a dropped mobile connection does not kill your work. Start it with tmux new -s main and reattach later with tmux attach -t main.
Turn the phone sideways for wide output such as htop or log files.
Use less for long files instead of scrolling the terminal.
Save repeated commands as snippets so you tap instead of type.

Doing it with ShellPilot

ShellPilot is an SSH client, SFTP file manager and server manager for Android. It needs no account and no sign-up, and your connections and keys stay on your phone.

Connect with a password or an Ed25519 or RSA SSH key, save connection profiles and swipe between open sessions.
Enter, Esc, Tab, Ctrl and arrow keys sit right above the keyboard, so Ctrl+C, tmux shortcuts and editors like nano and vim work.
Command history, search and pinch-to-zoom in the terminal.
Known-host verification warns you if a server's key ever changes.
Encrypted on-device key storage and an optional biometric lock.
Over 50 ready-made commands for Docker, Nginx, system monitoring and more, with variables you fill in.

Get ShellPilot on Google Play

When it does not connect

Timed out: wrong address, firewall, or a private IP while you are on mobile data.
Connection refused: SSH is not running, or it listens on another port.
Authentication failed: wrong user name or password, or the key is not in authorized_keys. Check permissions: ~/.ssh must be 700 and authorized_keys must be 600.
Host key changed: if you rebuilt the server this is expected. If you did not, stop and find out why before accepting.

FAQ

Is SSH from a phone secure? Yes, the connection is encrypted the same way as from a laptop. The weak points are the account password and the phone itself, so use key login and a screen lock.

Can I SSH into a Windows PC from Android? Yes. Windows 10 and 11 include an optional OpenSSH Server feature. Turn it on in Settings under Optional features, start the sshd service, then connect with your Windows user name.

Do I need root on the phone? No. An SSH client is an ordinary app and needs no root or special setup on Android.

Your work keeps moving.So should you.

Built for the hours spent watching a terminal wait. Something new from this studio is nearly ready — and it isn't for your desk.

Be first to hearComing soon. Details land in the studio newsletter — the same one below, nothing extra to join.

Meanwhile, the toolkit

A Markdown editor good enough to write its own homepage.

This page is a Markdown document. You're reading the rendered preview — press or hit if you don't believe it. That round trip — plain text in, a clean document out — is what Markdown Editor & MD Viewer does on your Android phone. Free, offline, no account.

markdown Live Server — 2 editors, 1 file

# Two cursors, one document
My phone is hosting this file over Wi-Fi,
and my desktop is ed
> nothing leaves the device — it's your Wi-Fi, your file

## New in v1.5 — watch it work

✓Version History — every save snapshotted; browse and restore

✓Works offline — no account, no cloud — files stay on your device

App	Job	Rating
Markdown Editor & MD Viewer	Write and preview Markdown on mobile.	4.7★ · 5K+	install ios
WebEva: Build Websites & Code	Build websites from your phone.	4.4★ · 5K+	install ios
PDF Viewer & Editor - AI	Edit, convert & sign PDFs on mobile.	4.9★ · 1K+	install ios
HTML Viewer & Editor - Code	View & edit HTML on mobile.	4.6★ · 1K+	install ios
SQLite Editor & SQL Learner	Manage SQLite databases on mobile.	5.0★ · 1K+	install
Python IDE - Offline Compiler	Write and run Python on your phone.	4.1★ · 1K+	install
Aspenote: Offline Voice to Text	It writes it down. On your phone.	—	install
HostPilot: PHP Server & SQL	Turn your phone into a web server.	—	install
DevBuddy: Offline Dev Toolkit	Your pocket developer toolkit.	—	install ios
ShellPilot - Batch SSH Client	SSH terminal & SFTP on the go.	— · 1K+	install ios
API Client -REST & HTTP Tester	Test APIs anywhere, anytime.	— · 500+	install ios
JSON Editor - Viewer & Format	View, edit & format JSON instantly.	— · 500+	install ios
Java & Kotlin Compiler IDE	Write and run Java on your phone.	4.4★ · 1K+	install
XML Viewer & Editor	View, edit & validate XML on mobile.	— · 5K+	install ios
Open CSV — Viewer & Editor	Open and edit CSV files on mobile.	— · 500+	install ios
JavaScript Editor — React IDE	Run JavaScript and React on your phone.	— · 1K+	install
Image to SVG Converter, Viewer	Convert images to SVG and edit vectors on mobile.	— · 1K+	install
YAML / YML Viewer & Editor	View, edit & validate YAML instantly.	— · 500+	install
Network Toolkit: WiFi IP Tools	Network utilities and diagnostic tools.	— · 500+	install
Code Editor - Text & Notepad	Edit text files on mobile.	— · 500+	install
C / C++ Compiler IDE	Compile & run C and C++ on your phone.	—	install
Diagram Maker: Flow & ERD	Draw flowcharts & ERDs on mobile.	—	install
QR Scanner & Generator	Scan codes with confidence	—	install
Zip Extractor — Unzip RAR 7Z	Open ZIP, RAR, and 7Z files	—	install
PromptCrate: AI Prompt Manager	Your personal AI prompt library	—	install

App

Job

Rating

Markdown Editor & MD Viewer