Connect your Android phone to your agent

Download the Android app

Android 11 or newer. Use Wi-Fi for the phone access step.

Open Backstage on your phone

  1. Sign in

    Enter your email and tap Email me a code, then enter the code from the email. A new email address creates your account. You can also sign in with a passkey or a recovery code. Signing in adds this phone to your account.

  2. Allow phone access

    Follow the app’s steps to open Android Settings and allow access. Android requires this approval; Backstage cannot grant it for you.

  3. Connect your agents

    Tap Connect an agent, then Copy for this agent and paste the message into your agent on the computer. To connect every agent on the computer at once, tap Copy for every agent on the computer instead. Your phone shows a notification: check that the six digits match and tap Allow.

After setup

Control each agent

Agents can use all your devices. Tap an agent to see what it is working on, pause or resume it, stop its current work, change its devices or remove it. Pause access stops every agent on this phone.

Several agents at once

Each agent works on its own private screen, so several can use your phone at the same time without touching what you see.

Add a phone or tablet

Install Backstage on it and sign in with the same email. Your connected agents can use it right away.

Updates

When a new version is ready, Backstage shows Update now. Updating takes about a minute and your agents reconnect by themselves.

Setup help

How do I install the download?

Open the downloaded file on your phone. If Android asks, allow your browser to install this app, then return to the download and tap Install.

How do I sign in?

Enter your email and tap Email me a code. The code expires in ten minutes; tap Send a new code if it does. If you saved a passkey, tap Sign in with a passkey and choose the password manager where you saved it. If you lost access to your email and passkeys, tap Use a recovery code.

To add an email, create recovery codes or remove a passkey, open Settings → Account and sign-in in Backstage.

I didn’t get a notification on my phone

Open Backstage: waiting requests also appear at the top of the app with Allow and Deny. If neither shows, allow notifications for Backstage and ask your agent to connect again. A computer that has never connected opens a Backstage page instead; sign in there and tap Allow.

How do I allow phone access?

  1. Open Wireless debugging

    Connect to Wi-Fi. In Backstage, tap Open Android settings. Turn on Wireless debugging, then tap its name.

    If Developer options is missing, open Settings → About phone and tap Build number seven times. Some phones put it under Software information. Return to Backstage and open Android settings again.

  2. Pair Backstage

    Choose Pair device with pairing code. Keep Android’s code on screen, pull down notifications, and tap Enter code in Backstage’s notification.

    If there is no notification, allow notifications for Backstage, or use split screen with Backstage’s Enter the code in this app option.

My request expired

Requests last ten minutes. Ask your agent to connect again. If you already approved, let your agent retry its saved connection instead.

My agent uses a connection code

Some agents, such as ChatGPT, ask for a code. In Backstage, tap Connect an agent → Use a connection code, choose the agent, and tap Copy connection code. Paste it into the page the agent opened, then approve on your phone.

My agent cannot add the connection

The agent app must support custom tools. Some cloud apps require an account setting or an administrator’s approval; others cannot add this connection. The setup message tells your agent to check what its host supports and give you the exact next step.

Backstage stopped after a phone restart

Connect to Wi-Fi, turn Wireless debugging on again, then open Backstage. Once it is running, mobile data works too.

What can a connected agent do?

It can use apps and run commands on the devices you allow. Your Backstage server can read those commands and their results. Connect only agents you trust, and pause or remove an agent in the app when you need to.

Help for a specific agent

Choose your agent

Steps for Codex

  1. Copy the message in Backstage

    Tap Connect an agent, then Copy for this agent. To connect every agent on the computer at once, tap Copy for every agent on the computer.

  2. Paste into Codex

    Use an agent chat on your computer. Allow the setup steps it requests. If it needs a reload or a new chat, it will tell you.

  3. Approve on your phone

    Backstage shows a notification. Check that the six digits match what Codex shows and tap Allow. Your agent checks that the phone answers.

Finish in Codex

Steps for Codex

  1. Let your assistant test the connection

    After sign-in, your agent should finish and return your phone model. If it needs a new chat, send this there.

    Use my saved native Android Backstage connection. Read ro.product.model in the background and tell me the result. Do not open or touch my screen.