guide / notifications

How to get notified when your coding agent is stuck

Long agent runs usually stall on one question: which library, whether it may delete something, whether to continue. The agent then waits until you look at the screen. These are the ways to close that gap, from simplest to most intrusive. Most of them are free, and for many people one of the first three is enough.

1. Remote control and auto mode

Claude Code can be controlled from your phone with its built-in remote control, and auto mode removes many routine yes/no prompts. If you mostly need to approve tool use while away from your desk, start here.

2. Hooks that send a push notification

Claude Code hooks can run a command when the agent finishes or asks for permission. Pointing that command at a push service such as ntfy or Pushover gives you a banner on your phone for free. Weakness: banners are easy to miss, and an agent that is blocked on a decision will sit there until you notice.

3. A chat bot relay

A Telegram or Slack bot that forwards the agent's question and sends your reply back works well if you already live in that app. You maintain the bot and decide how replies get routed to the right session.

4. Self-hosted voice calls

Open-source projects such as CallMe let an agent place a phone call through your own telephony account. You bring and run the telephony provider, a speech model key and a public tunnel. It is flexible and cheap, and you carry the setup.

5. A hosted phone call

JustCallMe is a hosted version of the call approach. The agent makes one HTTPS request when it hits a decision it should not make alone, your phone rings, a voice states the task, the blocker and a recommendation, and your spoken answer goes back to the same task. There is no telephony account, model key or tunnel to set up. Unanswered calls are free and new accounts get 20 free minutes. I built it, so weigh this section accordingly.

How to choose

• Need approvals while you walk around, and happy with a phone app: remote control plus auto mode.
• Want something free and simple: hooks plus ntfy or Pushover.
• Want a voice call but own your stack: self-host CallMe.
• Want the call without running the infrastructure: JustCallMe.

Whichever you pick: limit the interruptions

Tell the agent when to escalate. A rule like "interrupt me only for decisions that are irreversible or that change the design" in your CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md keeps you from swapping babysitting the terminal for babysitting your phone.