Level Up Your Via Mode Skills
Via mode is powerful out of the box, but understanding its nuances makes it significantly more effective. These tips come from real-world usage patterns and edge cases you will inevitably encounter.
1. Name Your Terminals Strategically
Terminal names are how you target sessions with via <name>. Use short, memorable names like api, front, or tests. When you have multiple projects, a two-word convention like shop-api or blog-front keeps things organized without being verbose.
2. Use the ! Escape for Quick Checks
While in via mode, prefix any bot command with ! to run it without sending text to the terminal. !status gives you a progress report. !peek checks for unsubmitted input. !reply_3 fetches the last three AI responses. This keeps your AI agent undisturbed.
3. Understand the Retry Timing
When Remocode sends input to an Ink app (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex), it uses a graduated retry system. After sending your text and Enter, it waits 1 second for output. If nothing appears, it retries at 8 seconds, then 18 seconds, then 28 seconds. This means you should wait at least 30 seconds before assuming your input was lost.
4. Use Peek Before Retyping
If you suspect your input was not submitted properly, do not retype it immediately. Use !peek first to check whether there is leftover unsubmitted text sitting in the terminal input buffer. Retyping without checking can result in duplicate or garbled commands.
5. Exit Cleanly
Always use !exit or release via to disconnect from a session. This ensures the streaming listener is properly detached and resources are freed. Closing Telegram or switching chats does not automatically release the via connection.
6. Watch for Delta Messages
Via mode only sends new content since the last poll. If you see a message that seems to start mid-sentence, it is because the beginning was sent in a previous message. Scroll up to see the full context if needed.
7. Use Submit for Stuck Prompts
Sometimes an AI agent displays a prompt but your previous input did not include a final Enter keypress. Instead of re-entering your entire response, just send !submit (or !enter) to push a standalone Enter key to the terminal.
8. Combine Status and Via
Before entering via mode, send status <name> to get an AI-generated summary of what the terminal has been doing. This gives you context before you start seeing the live stream, so you are not confused by partial output.
9. Handle Connection Gaps
If your phone loses connectivity momentarily, via mode continues polling on the Remocode side. When you reconnect, you will receive the accumulated delta messages. Nothing is lost, though messages may arrive in a burst.
10. Know When to Use Via vs. Reply
Via mode is for interactive sessions where you need to respond in real time. If you just want to catch up on what happened, reply or reply_N is more efficient. It retrieves the last N AI responses from the buffer without establishing a streaming connection.
Putting It All Together
The ideal workflow combines passive monitoring through alerts and question detection with active intervention through via mode. Let the automation handle routine questions with auto-forwarded buttons, and drop into via mode only when you need hands-on control. This balance keeps your AI agents productive while minimizing the time you spend staring at terminal output on your phone.
Ready to try Remocode?
Start with a 7-day Pro trial — no credit card required. Download now and start coding with AI from anywhere.
Download Remocodefor macOS