Tessera is a fast, keyboard-first SSH, Mosh, and tmux terminal for iPhone and
iPad. It connects directly to servers you own or control — no middleman, no
account, no tracking.
MOVE BETWEEN YOUR DEVICES
• Hand off a live session: start on iPad, pick it up on iPhone, then
double-tap to take back control. The session keeps running either way.
• Your focused session appears in the App Switcher and Dock on your other
devices.
• Nearby Setup copies your hosts, keys, and preferences to a new device
directly over the local network — you choose exactly what to copy, both
devices confirm a matching code, and each grant needs Face ID.
• Or don't sync at all: choose whether sessions follow you or stay on each
device.
STAY CONNECTED
• First-class tmux integration: auto-attach on connect, so a dropped
connection never loses your work.
• Native tmux windows as tabs, with real panes.
• Mosh keeps your session alive across Wi-Fi ↔ cellular roaming and
sleep/wake — pick up exactly where you left off.
• Session restore brings your saved hosts and layout back after relaunch.
BUILT FOR TOUCH AND KEYBOARD
• First-class hardware-keyboard support: shortcuts, a key legend (⌘ hold),
and careful handling of modifier keys for real terminal work.
• A configurable swipe pad puts arrows, Esc, Ctrl and your own macros in the
thumb zone.
• Mouse and trackpad support, including scrolling that works.
• Find-in-terminal, themes, and adjustable fonts and appearance.
• Optional on-device dictation straight into the terminal.
FILES, PORTS, AND JUMP HOSTS
• A remote file panel that tracks your shell's current directory, over SSH
and mosh alike — with native iOS sharing to move files and images in and out.
• Local port forwarding with a live tunnels overview.
• Jump hosts for servers you can only reach through a bastion.
PRIVATE BY DEFAULT
• Tessera has no servers, no analytics, and collects no data. Connections go
directly from your iOS devices to your machines.
SECURITY YOU EXPECT
• Keys are generated and stored in the iOS Keychain; Secure Enclave–backed
keys never leave your device and can require Face ID to use.
• Host-key verification with a persistent known-hosts store.
• App lock with Face ID / passcode on launch, background return, and idle
timeout.
OPEN SOURCE
• Tessera is free software (GPL-3.0). The full source code is available at
github.com/bambouville/tessera.
Tessera requires servers you provide — it is a client, not a hosting
service. Mosh and tmux features require mosh/tmux installed on the server.
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