ZeroClaw
ZeroClaw is the mobile companion app for the OpenClaw ecosystem — a lightweight application that connects your smartphone to your self-hosted OpenClaw agent, giving you on-the-go access to your private AI without routing queries through commercial cloud services.
Overview
Once you have an OpenClaw instance running on your home server, ZeroClaw solves the "last mile" problem: how do you access it conveniently from your phone? ZeroClaw provides a polished mobile interface that communicates with your OpenClaw backend over an encrypted tunnel (WireGuard or Tailscale), making your private agent available anywhere with internet connectivity.
ZeroClaw also includes a standalone "local mode" that runs small on-device models (via on-device inference optimized for mobile NPUs) for quick, fully offline tasks when your OpenClaw server is unavailable.
Note: ZeroClaw is the mobile component of the open-source OpenClaw ecosystem. If you haven't set up OpenClaw yet, start there.
Key Features
- OpenClaw Sync: Seamlessly connects to your self-hosted OpenClaw instance, giving mobile access to all your installed skills, conversation history, and customizations.
- Encrypted Tunnel: Communication between ZeroClaw and your OpenClaw server uses end-to-end encryption (WireGuard/Tailscale), so your AI interactions are never exposed to third parties in transit.
- Local Inference Mode: For small, quick tasks, ZeroClaw can run compact models directly on your phone's NPU (Neural Processing Unit) — no internet or OpenClaw server required.
- Voice Interface: Tap-to-talk voice mode using on-device speech recognition, with responses read aloud via on-device TTS.
- Offline Fallback: If your OpenClaw server is unreachable, ZeroClaw automatically switches to local inference mode with reduced capability.
- Push Notifications: Receive alerts when scheduled OpenClaw tasks complete — no need to keep the app open.
- Conversation History: Full history of all conversations synced from your OpenClaw server.
How It Works
Connection Architecture:
[Your Phone] → [ZeroClaw App]
↕ (WireGuard / Tailscale VPN)
[Your Home/VPS Server] → [OpenClaw Instance]
↕ (Ollama / Cloud API)
[AI Model]
Technical Architecture:
- Mobile Platform: iOS (16+) and Android (11+).
- Server Communication: WebSocket over encrypted VPN tunnel.
- Local Inference: Optimized for mobile NPUs using quantized models (< 2GB RAM footprint).
- On-Device Models: llama-3.2-1B, phi-3-mini optimized for mobile NPU.
- License: MIT (open source).
Use Cases
On-the-Go Agent Access
- Query your OpenClaw agent for quick information lookups while away from your computer.
- Trigger skills remotely: "Check my home assistant and tell me if the garage door is open."
- Receive and respond to OpenClaw alerts and task completions on your phone.
Fully Private Mobile AI
- Users who don't trust commercial mobile AI assistants (Siri, Google Assistant) with their data.
- Healthcare professionals, lawyers, and executives who need AI assistance with sensitive information.
Offline AI on the Go
- Quick, private AI queries when on a plane or in areas with poor connectivity.
- On-device document analysis using your phone's camera (point at a document and ask questions about it).
Getting Started
Prerequisites
- A working OpenClaw instance on your server.
- A VPN solution for secure remote access: Tailscale (easiest) or WireGuard.
Step 1: Set Up Secure Remote Access
# On your OpenClaw server, install Tailscale (recommended for ease):
curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
sudo tailscale up
# Note your Tailscale IP (e.g., 100.64.0.1):
tailscale ip -4
Step 2: Install ZeroClaw on Your Phone
- Download ZeroClaw from the App Store or Google Play.
- Open the app.
- Tap "Connect to OpenClaw Server".
Step 3: Connect to Your OpenClaw Instance
- Enter your OpenClaw server's Tailscale IP and port (default:
100.64.0.1:8080). - Enter your OpenClaw API key (found in OpenClaw dashboard → Settings → API Keys).
- Tap "Connect" — ZeroClaw will verify the connection and sync your settings.
Step 4: Test Voice Mode
- Tap the microphone button in ZeroClaw.
- Say a command: "What's on my calendar today?"
- ZeroClaw will route the query to your OpenClaw agent (which will use its Calendar skill) and read the response aloud.
Step 5: Enable Local Inference (Optional)
- Go to ZeroClaw Settings → "Local Models".
- Download a small on-device model (Phi-3 mini, ~1.8GB).
- Toggle "Use Local Model when Server Unavailable" to ON.
- Test by turning off Tailscale — ZeroClaw should still respond using the local model.
Best Practices
- Use Tailscale for remote access — it's the simplest zero-configuration VPN and the free tier supports up to 100 devices.
- Download the local model even if you primarily use OpenClaw — it's invaluable when your server is unreachable.
- Enable push notifications for long-running OpenClaw tasks so you don't have to keep checking the app.
Pricing & Access
- ZeroClaw App: Free to download (App Store and Google Play).
- Core Features: All free — no subscription required.
- OpenClaw Server: Required (also free and open-source).
- ClawHub Pro (~$5/month): Optional subscription for managed cloud sync — useful if you don't run a permanent home server.
Limitations
- Requires OpenClaw Server: ZeroClaw's full capabilities depend on having a working OpenClaw instance. The local-only mode is useful but limited.
- Technical Setup: Configuring a VPN for secure remote access requires some technical knowledge.
- Local Model Capability: On-device models (1-3B parameters) are significantly less capable than full OpenClaw with a cloud API or large local model.
- Battery Impact: Running local inference on-device consumes significant battery — keep sessions short when using local mode.
Community & Support
- GitHub: github.com/openclaw-ai/zeroclaw
- Documentation: docs.openclaw.ai/zeroclaw
- Discord: OpenClaw Community Discord —
#zeroclaw-mobilechannel - Tailscale Setup Guide: tailscale.com/kb — comprehensive setup documentation.
For the full-scale desktop and server version, see the OpenClaw page.