tterminal

Getting started

Add a host

1. Tap the server icon in the top-right corner to open Vaults.
2. On the Hosts tab, tap Add Host and fill in a name, address, port and username.
3. Pick Password or SSH key for authentication. Choose None if you'd rather type it in the terminal when connecting.
4. Save, go back, and tap the host to connect.

Star the hosts you use most and they'll stay at the top of the list.

Host fingerprints

The first time you connect to a host, tterminal remembers its fingerprint. If it ever changes, the connection is refused, since that can mean someone is sitting in the middle.

The error screen then shows the remembered fingerprint next to the one presented this time. If you reinstalled the server or replaced its host key yourself, run ssh-keygen -lf /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub on the server and compare it with the new fingerprint. If they match exactly, tap I've confirmed the host changed. Use the new fingerprint…, tick the box to say you've checked it, and tterminal switches to the new fingerprint and reconnects. No need to delete the host.

You can also edit the host in Vaults and tap Clear under “Host key fingerprint”, then save. Changing the address or port clears it automatically. The next connection remembers the new one.

SSH keys

1. Vaults → Keys → Generate Key. The default type, Ed25519, is the right choice unless the server is too old to support it; then pick RSA. The passphrase can be left empty.
2. The public key is shown right away. Tap Copy public key and add it to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server. If you have no other way to sign in yet, connect with a password first and add it from the terminal.
3. Edit the host, switch authentication to SSH key and pick this one.

Already have a key? Tap Add Key instead and paste the private key in OpenSSH or PEM format, plus its passphrase if it has one. To get the public key again later, tap the copy button next to the key in the Keys list.

In the terminal

• Extra keys: the row above the keyboard has esc, ctrl, tab and arrows. Tap ctrl once and it lights up; the next key you type is sent with Ctrl, then it releases. ^C and ^D send right away.
• Scrolling: drag with one finger to see earlier output.
• Arrow joystick: long-press the terminal and drag. It keeps sending arrow keys, faster the further you drag. Great in vim and less.
• Input methods: Chinese, Japanese and other IMEs work directly. Composition appears at the cursor and is only sent once you choose a candidate.
• Font size: gear icon on the home screen → Settings → Terminal font size.

When you switch apps

Pop out to answer a message and your session is usually still there when you come back. While tterminal is in the background, the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen show how many connections are open.

iOS only gives apps limited background time, so after a while the system suspends the app and connections drop. Tap the host again to reconnect. For long-running work, run tmux on the server and tmux attach after reconnecting.

iPad and iPhone Duo

On wide screens (iPad, an unfolded iPhone Duo) you get two columns: connections on the left, terminal on the right. Tap a connection on the left to switch. Want the terminal full width? Collapse the list with the button at the top of the left column.

Half-fold the iPhone Duo and the layout follows the hinge: side by side when it's standing like a book, terminal on top and keys on the bottom when it's flat like a laptop.

Sync between devices

There's no account. To sync hosts and keys across devices, run your own sync server.

Recommended setup: put it on something at home that stays on (a NAS, a Raspberry Pi, a home server, a Mac mini) and don't open a port to the internet. When you're away, connect home over a VPN such as Tailscale or WireGuard, then sync. Nobody on the internet can reach your server, and the data is encrypted on top of that.

On that machine, with Docker, it's one command:

docker run -d --name tterm-sync -p 8722:8722 \
  -v tterm-data:/data --restart unless-stopped \
  ghcr.io/tterminal-app/tterminal-sync:latest

1. On your first device: Settings → Sync, enter http://<server>:8722 and tap Set up sync. With Tailscale, use the server's Tailscale name or its 100.x address; it works both at home and away.
2. Tap Export pairing string and copy it.
3. On each other device: Settings → Sync → Join with a pairing string.

Everything is encrypted on the device first, so the server only stores ciphertext. The pairing string contains the decryption key: keep it between your own devices. Also, iOS runs one VPN at a time, so if you normally use a different VPN, switch to the one that reaches home before syncing. More details (including HTTPS, if it really must be on the internet) are on the server's GitHub page.

FAQ

Report a problem

Found a bug or want a feature? Open an issue on GitHub. Your iOS version, device model and steps to reproduce help a lot.