Skip to main content
Mobster has no model account of its own. Its agent runs on a plan you already pay for, such as Codex or Claude Code, or on an API key that bills you directly, and your key stays on your Mac.

​
Which key does what

With a Claude key, Mobster’s agent runs on Claude Sonnet 5.5, also when an OpenAI key is set beside it. With an OpenAI key alone, it runs on GPT-5.6 Sol. To use OpenAI when both are saved, choose it in Settings › Models or run mobster login --provider openai. MOBSTER_SMART_MODEL picks any other model by its id.

​
Keys on this Mac

A key comes from the Claude Console (it starts with sk-ant-) or the OpenAI Platform (it starts with sk-). Add credit in Billing before you create it. Both accounts are separate from a Claude or ChatGPT subscription. Mobster for Mac asks for the key in Setup and changes it in Settings › Models. In Terminal, mobster login asks for it:
Output
Mobster tests the key with one small request to your provider, then saves it in your login Keychain. A key that fails the test isn’t saved. The Mac app and every mobster command share the saved key, and Mobster shows only its prefix and last four characters:
Output
In a script or CI, mobster login --provider anthropic --with-key < key.txt reads the key from the file. It exits 0 once the key is saved and 1 when the test fails. A key in ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY, in your shell or an env file, works too. mobster logout removes a saved key and prints ✓ Removed the Claude key from this Mac.

​
Plans you already pay for

A plan runs your tasks with no API key. When you choose Continue in Setup’s AI step, Mobster saves your coding-agent choice for scheduled workflows too. A workflow’s model steps prefer that agent while it is ready and Mobster’s own agent has no key. If your chosen agent isn’t ready, Mobster tries another ready coding agent. Setup waits for the choice to save before it continues. Codex, Claude Code and Gemini CLI sign in with their own command. mobster login codex says which:
Output
  • Who does the task. Pick Mobster, Codex, Claude Code or Gemini CLI in the composer. With no key for Mobster’s own agent, tasks and saved workflows go to the coding agent that’s signed in: the one you chose in Setup, else Codex, Claude Code, then Gemini CLI.
  • What it costs. Nothing per task: it counts toward the plan’s usage limits. The result reads “On your Claude plan, 48k tokens”, and Technical details › Inference adds what those tokens would cost at list price. Plan tokens never count as spend.
  • What Mobster runs. Your own, unmodified codex, claude or gemini. Mobster never reads their sign-in, hides your API keys from them, and turns off their shell, file and web tools: the iPhone is their only tool.
  • How the result reads. Done when every fact in the answer is on a screen the agent read, and it typed and committed nothing. Otherwise Take a look: only Mobster’s own agent checks that a change shows on the screen.
  • Approvals. The same permission modes apply whichever agent works.

​
Other providers and local models

Mobster’s agent also runs on another provider’s key, a model on this Mac, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Each has a name for mobster login: mobster login openrouter asks for the key, then checks it against the provider’s model list before it saves it:
Output
  • A base URL starts with https://. http:// works only for this Mac or your local network.
  • A key in the provider’s usual variable (XAI_API_KEY, OPENROUTER_API_KEY …) works too.
  • A model that can’t see images reads the screen as text.
  • mobster logout <provider> forgets it.

​
What a task costs

Mobster’s agent spends on your key. Before each task, the Mac app shows an estimate in cents, and Settings › Models shows what your tasks cost this month at your provider’s published rates. A launch-only check calls no model and costs nothing. An agent you connect over MCP spends on its own model. Mobster adds up each call from the provider’s own usage report, and a call with no reported price shows as unpriced, never as free.

​
Spend caps

A cap stops a task before its next model call once the task’s spend reaches it. The task ends with status spend_cap. While a cap is set, a model with no listed price counts at the highest listed price, so the cap stops the task early rather than never. The task’s reason says Mobster has no price for <model>, so it counted the highest listed price.

​
What the model sees

Your provider gets the task, the text on the iPhone’s screen and a small screenshot of each step, plus what the task needs from your conversation, memory and files. Privacy and your data has the whole list.

​
Next

Quickstart: Mobster CLI

Install the CLI, add your key and run a task.

Add to your agent

Give Claude Code, Codex or Cursor your iPhone over MCP.

Settings

Models, spend limits and approvals in Mobster for Mac.