Artificial Intelligence

Ovis: Open-Source Client Brings Coding Agents to Browsers and Mobile Devices

03 Nov 2026, 10:25 AM IST · GlobeWire Daily Editorial Desk · Source: github.com

2 min read

Key takeawaysOvis, formerly known as the herdr web UI, is a free, open-source client designed to interface with coding agents running on local machines. According to the project's documentation, the software allows users to interact with terminal-based and background coding assistants through a web browser, a Mac application, or mobile clients. It aims to bridge the…

Ovis: Open-Source Client Brings Coding Agents to Browsers and Mobile Devices

Image: GitHub · Photo source · Resized and letterboxed to 16:9; no AI generation

Overview of Ovis

Ovis, formerly known as the herdr web UI, is a free, open-source client designed to interface with coding agents running on local machines. According to the project's documentation, the software allows users to interact with terminal-based and background coding assistants through a web browser, a Mac application, or mobile clients. It aims to bridge the gap between desktop development tools and mobile accessibility.

Key Features

Cross-Platform Interface: Provides access via modern web browsers, desktop apps, and mobile devices (including TestFlight and Google Play beta options).
Agent Support: Designed to work with multiple coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and others, presenting prompts as interactive cards.
Live Terminal Access: Offers a live terminal view that mirrors the underlying agent pane, complete with a specialized key bar for mobile usage.
Remote Access and Notifications: Supports remote connections via Tailscale, custom SSH tunnels, VPNs, or an optional end-to-end encrypted relay, alongside web push alerts for pending agent queries.

Installation and Requirements

Ovis relies on the `herdr` backend and requires the host computer to remain powered on. Installation procedures vary by operating system:

Mac: Available via a downloadable DMG file.
Windows: Available via a downloadable executable.
Linux: Installable via a command-line shell script.

The installation process automatically provisions `herdr` and Bun if they are absent. Node.js is not required.

Privacy and Telemetry

According to the project documentation, chat sessions remain local to the computer running the agent, and Ovis does not require user accounts. While anonymous usage counts are enabled by default, they can be disabled via the settings menu or through the `OVIS_TELEMETRY=0` environment variable. The optional relay logs connection metadata—such as connecting addresses and timestamps—without reading the payload contents.

How to Verify

Users can inspect the source code, installation guides, and documentation directly on the official GitHub repository.

Topics

Read the original source: devswha/ovis: Ovis (formerly herdr web UI): free, open-source browser and phone client for herdr. Chat and live terminal for Claude Code, Codex and every agent pane, remote PCs over SSH, web push alerts - GitHub

AI-assisted reporting; source claims are attributed and have not been independently verified.

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GlobeWire Daily Editorial Desk — AI-assisted news based on attributed published sources.