PocketClaw

Connect to your OpenClaw lobster 🦞 from your phone.

A Flutter-built, mobile-first client for existing OpenClaw Gateway deployments — pure frontend, with no extra backend dependencies.

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At a glance

• Phone-native on purpose — built for a real mobile experience, not a browser wrapper.
• Compatible with today’s Gateway — no Gateway modifications, no private patches.
• Pure frontend — no custom backend, no extra service layer.
• Chat MVP first — focused on connect, chat, streaming, tools, and session switching.
• Structured to grow carefully — the core can later extend toward compact and wearable surfaces.

Preview direction

PocketClaw is being shaped as a clean, compact, phone-native OpenClaw client. The intended UX direction is:

• fast connect flow
• readable streaming chat
• lightweight tool event rendering
• quick session switching
• compact controls that still feel native on small screens

UI preview assets are evolving as the app surface stabilizes.

Why PocketClaw exists

OpenClaw already has a capable Gateway, but the existing surfaces are not designed first for a native mobile experience. PocketClaw exists to make OpenClaw feel natural on a phone without changing server-side behavior.

The idea is deliberately simple:

• keep the deployment model unchanged
• keep the client truly mobile-native
• keep the architecture clean enough to scale beyond a one-off app shell

Current status

Active prototype — the architecture direction is set, and the current work is about making the mobile chat surface practical.

Current Chat MVP focus:

• connection, authentication, and pairing
• chat history and sending
• streaming assistant output
• tool call rendering
• session switching and client-created sessions
• image sending
• basic session overrides (model, thinking, fast, verbose)

Design principles

• Compatibility first — work with current OpenClaw Gateway behavior rather than inventing new server assumptions.
• No custom backend — connect directly to the Gateway transport surface.
• Mobile-first — optimize for phones before expanding into broader control surfaces.
• Secure local credentials — keep profiles and device auth material in OS-backed secure storage.
• Client-controlled sessions — support multiple conversations without changing Gateway semantics.
• Move fast, stay disciplined — keep iteration quick without letting compatibility boundaries drift.

FAQ

Why not just wrap the web UI?

Because PocketClaw is meant to feel like a real mobile client. A wrapper can be useful, but it is not the same as designing navigation, streaming, session switching, and compact controls specifically for phones.

Why no custom backend?

Because the project is intentionally built around today’s OpenClaw Gateway surface. Adding a separate backend would make deployment heavier and weaken the project’s core compatibility promise.

Why Flutter?

Flutter is a pragmatic fit for shipping a polished mobile UI across platforms while keeping the app architecture and iteration loop tight.

Is this trying to replace OpenClaw WebChat?

No. PocketClaw is a mobile-first companion surface, not a claim that every OpenClaw interaction should move to a phone app.

Project map

If you only need the main entry points, start here:

• docs/README.md — full documentation map
• CHANGELOG.md — curated summary of notable repository-facing changes
• pocketclaw/README.md — workspace guide for local development and implementation notes

Core product and repository docs:

• docs/architecture.md · 中文
• docs/roadmap.md · 中文
• docs/mvp-scope.md
• docs/compatibility.md

Implementation and contributor context:

• docs/session-key-strategy.md
• docs/gateway-surface-map.md
• docs/connect-flow-plan.md
• docs/development-workflow.md
• docs/ci-cd.md
• docs/official-android-reference.md

Architecture direction

PocketClaw keeps protocol, state, and UI concerns separate so the app does not collapse into Gateway-specific payload glue.

Suggested module direction:

app/
  mobile_ui/
packages/
  gateway_transport/
  gateway_auth/
  gateway_adapter/
  pocketclaw_core/

Read more in docs/architecture.md.

What PocketClaw is not

For the current phase, PocketClaw does not assume:

• Gateway-side feature development
• private storage hacks
• archive restore APIs
• a WebView-first product strategy

Community

See the full timeline on Star History.

Repository layout

• assets/ — repository banner, UI mockups, and social preview artwork
• docs/ — repository-facing product, architecture, compatibility, and planning documents
• pocketclaw/ — the actual Flutter/Dart workspace for the project
  • pocketclaw/README.md — workspace guide for local development and implementation-facing docs
  • pocketclaw/app/ — mobile application code
  • pocketclaw/packages/ — reusable transport, adapter, and core modules

Language policy

English is the primary language for repository content. Chinese versions may be added alongside English where useful.