OpenClaw has released its own mobile app. It brings AI agents on the go, but beginners will struggle with it

AI agents are currently what is referred to as “the next big thing” in the field of artificial intelligence. One of the projects driving this idea forward is OpenClaw. This week, it gained a mobile application for Android and iOS, but its release is accompanied by considerable apprehension — from its appearance to something much more substantial.

What exactly is OpenClaw

Before we get to the app, it’s good to know what it is. OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant that you run on your own hardware. Its motto is “AI that actually does something” — unlike a regular chatbot, it not only answers but also acts: sorting mail, sending emails, managing calendars, or handling other tasks. You can connect it to any model you like (Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local ones) and control it via apps you already use, such as WhatsApp or Telegram.

The project is backed by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, and its growth has been rapid — since its launch at the end of 2025, it has accumulated over 380 thousand stars on GitHub, making it one of the most popular tools of its kind. The heart of the entire system is the so-called Gateway, a central process running on your computer or server that manages all communication between agents, tools, and platforms.

What the mobile app can do

The new app is not a standalone product, but rather a mobile node to your existing Gateway. You pair it using a QR code or setup code, and then from your phone, you can chat with the assistant, use voice mode, approve actions the agent wants to perform, and optionally grant it access to device functions — camera, screen, location, and notifications. For existing OpenClaw users, this is undoubtedly a practical extension. You can download it directly from the Play Store.

The execution, however, is lacking. Preview screenshots appear raw and rough, the store rating hovers at just 2.2 stars, and users complain about bugs, pairing issues, and overall unsuitability. OpenClaw has never prioritized form — at its core, it’s a command-line tool — but even so, the Android version feels unfinished. The iOS counterpart looks significantly better.

Pay special attention to security

And now for the most important thing, which is easily lost in enthusiastic reports about agents. OpenClaw gives AI access to your files, browser, mail, and — newly via the mobile app — to the camera and location. This makes it an extremely attractive target for attackers. And this is not theoretical: security researchers previously counted thousands of OpenClaw instances freely accessible on the internet. Furthermore, Cisco, when analyzing thousands of add-ons, found that a quarter of them contained some vulnerability, and an attack via a spoofed extension also emerged.

Even one of the project’s developers openly warned that for anyone who cannot handle the command line, OpenClaw is too dangerous to use safely. This is a rare candid admission and also a clear signal of who the tool is intended for — advanced users and developers who know what they are doing, not for ordinary phone owners lured by the vision of an agent in their pocket.

Would you grant an AI agent access to your files and mail, or do you find the risk unwelcome?

Source: 9to5Google, Google Play