This page is the plain-language technical reference for how Remote Agents fits into an active VS Code agent workflow. It is designed to answer the implementation and trust questions people ask before adopting the product.
Remote Agents is built to continue an agent workflow you already started in VS Code. The goal is not to create a separate mobile chat product. The goal is to let you keep the same chat, context, approvals, and review flow when you move to another device.
The same session identity, the same pending work, and the same approval and review surface.
Starting over in a separate conversation and losing the workflow state that was already established in VS Code.
The VS Code extension and Remote Agents desktop app relay the session across your own machine and local network. This is the privacy-first mode for same-network access.
Cloud relay is for staying connected across networks. Session traffic may transit hosted infrastructure so your phone and other computers can reach the same workflow away from your desk.
The decision is operational, not conceptual. Both modes are meant to preserve the same workflow. The difference is whether connectivity stays on your local network or uses hosted relay infrastructure to bridge separate networks.
Remote Agents is most useful when the agent is waiting for a human decision. That usually means a tool approval, a review step, or a follow-up question. Instead of returning to your desk just to unblock the session, you can inspect the request from another device and keep the agent moving.
Operational definition: a tool approval is the confirmation step before an agent runs a tool or applies a change. Remote Agents keeps that step tied to the same VS Code session rather than shifting you into an unrelated workflow.
The current public product language describes cloud relay as a transient relay service rather than a long-term archive. In local mode, traffic is intended to stay on your machine or local network. In cloud mode, session traffic may pass through hosted infrastructure to deliver cross-network connectivity.
Remote Agents also describes traffic as encrypted in transit. For the current product and policy detail, refer to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
The product currently presents itself as a combination of a VS Code extension, a desktop app, and a mobile app. Supported platform messaging currently covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
For the platform breakdown and installation path, see the Supported Platforms page.
Starter is the same-network plan. Pro adds cloud relay for access across networks. Team is the shared-access plan for admin control and multi-user workflows. Billing questions, product questions, and setup issues can be sent through the contact page.