OpenCode launches OpenTunnel: AI tools on your computer can now be used remotely from your phone

Beating AI News Flash: OpenCode co-founder Dax Raad has launched OpenTunnel, an open-source NAT traversal tool. It can generate public HTTPS links for websites, APIs, or OpenCode services running on a computer. For example, if OpenCode is running on a home computer, users can access it via a link on their phone while away from home and continue managing AI coding tasks, without needing to configure a public IP or router port forwarding.

This feature is similar to Tailscale Funnel, which can expose local services to the public internet so that visitors do not need to join a private network. OpenTunnel also uses end-to-end encryption. The HTTPS private key is stored on the user's computer, and traffic is only decrypted once it reaches the local machine, so relay servers normally cannot read the communication contents. However, Tailscale Funnel also has similar encryption capabilities.

OpenTunnel also provides an SDK, allowing developers to directly add public access functionality to their own applications. The V2 development branch of OpenCode has already merged the relevant code, adding a remote pairing command that can generate one-time connection links and QR codes, allowing devices such as phones to connect to OpenCode running on the local machine.

However, a public link is not the same as a private connection. Anyone can attempt to access a public URL, and sensitive services still need to set up authentication. The community also pointed out that the operator controls the domain and certificate issuance authority and could theoretically issue separate certificates. Dax acknowledged that users still need to trust the operator, and said users can deploy the relay service themselves.