1. Get your keys right first

The most important thing about SSH on mobile is key management. Don't use passwords. Password auth over SSH on a phone screen is miserable — and less secure.

In FOS Terminal, you have three options:

  • Generate a new key on device. Settings → SSH Keys → Generate. Choose Ed25519 (recommended) or RSA-4096. The key is created inside Android Keystore — hardware-backed, never exportable in plaintext.
  • Import an existing key. Settings → SSH Keys → Import. Paste PEM content or import from a file. Keep your existing key infrastructure unchanged.
  • Import via SSH config. If you have a ~/.ssh/config file, import it at Hosts → Import → SSH Config. The app resolves IdentityFile paths automatically.

Once you have a key, copy the public key to your servers: Settings → SSH Keys → tap a key → Copy public key. Then on the server: echo "your-public-key" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.

2. Use Mosh instead of SSH when you can

SSH is reliable on a stable connection. On mobile — where your IP changes when you walk from WiFi to 4G — it's not. Every time the connection drops, you're back at a shell prompt with lost work.

Mosh solves this. It's UDP-based, designed for mobile networks. Your session survives IP changes, network switches, and even putting the phone in your pocket for 20 minutes. When the connection drops and comes back, you're right where you left off.

Setup requires installing mosh-server on the remote server:

apt install mosh          # Debian/Ubuntu
yum install mosh          # RHEL/CentOS
brew install mosh         # macOS server

Then enable Mosh in FOS Terminal host settings. That's it. The app handles everything else — protocol negotiation, UDP, reconnection.

When to use SSH instead: Port forwarding sessions (Mosh doesn't support forwarding), when the server blocks UDP, or when you need session logs.

3. Jump hosts and bastion servers

If your servers are behind a bastion host (a common setup for any serious infrastructure), ProxyJump is what you need. FOS Terminal supports this natively — and it's free.

Setup: Add your bastion server as a host entry. Then add each internal server, and in host settings → Advanced → Jump host, select the bastion. That's it.

Enable SSH agent forwarding on the bastion host connection so your key is available on both hops:

  • Host settings → Advanced → SSH agent forwarding → On

The connection chain: Phone → Bastion (SSH) → Internal server (SSH via agent). One tap to connect, your key never touches the bastion's disk.

4. Port forwarding on mobile

Port forwarding on Android is surprisingly useful — and underused. Three types:

Local forwarding: bind a local port on your phone to a remote address. Example: access a database at db.internal:5432 through your phone at localhost:5432. Useful for connecting mobile apps to development databases.

Remote forwarding: expose a port on your phone to the remote server. Example: test a local web service from a cloud server.

Dynamic (SOCKS5): turns the SSH connection into a SOCKS5 proxy. Your phone's traffic can be routed through the server — useful for accessing internal services that aren't directly reachable.

In FOS Terminal: host settings → Port Forwarding → add a rule. Forwarding is active while the session is open in the background. The session notification stays in your notification shade so you know it's running.

5. SFTP for file management

The SFTP client in FOS Terminal is a full file manager, not a viewer. Open any saved host → SFTP tab. You get browse, upload, download, rename, delete, multi-select, and SHA-256 verification on every transfer.

On tablets: the host list and SFTP browser run side-by-side automatically. On foldables: unfold for a full split-pane layout.

Read-only preview (free): tap any file to view it — configs, scripts, logs. No download needed.

Inline editor (Pro): tap to edit directly on the server. Changes are written back via SFTP in-place. Supports 150+ file types with syntax highlighting. No downloading, editing locally, re-uploading.

A practical workflow: SSH to the server in one tab, SFTP in another. Make changes via SFTP, test via terminal, all in the same app.

6. Hardware keyboard makes everything faster

If you're serious about SSH on Android, pair a hardware keyboard. Bluetooth works. USB-C keyboards work. The improvement in usability is dramatic.

FOS Terminal keyboard shortcuts:

  • Ctrl+T — new tab
  • Ctrl+W — close current tab
  • Ctrl+Tab — switch to next tab
  • Tab, Escape, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D — work exactly as expected
  • Function keys — F1–F12 supported

The extra keys bar (the row of keys above the keyboard) is fully customisable. Presets for General, Vim, and Tmux workflows. Add your own macros.

7. Session logs for audit trails

If you're doing anything production-related from your phone, session logs are essential. FOS Terminal logs every session automatically — encrypted with AES-256-GCM, stored only on your device.

Free tier: 7-day retention. Pro: unlimited. Both include search, filter, and text export.

The logs are stored locally — we never upload, access, or transmit your session data. If you lose your phone, the logs are gone. This is intentional.

Summary

A complete mobile SSH workflow is possible in 2026. Generate or import your keys, set up Mosh for reliable connections, configure jump hosts for your infrastructure, use port forwarding for database and service access, and let SFTP replace the download-edit-upload cycle for file changes.

FOS Terminal handles all of this in one app, with the free tier covering everything except the SFTP editor, server monitoring, and the Pro-only features.

Download FOS Terminal free on Google Play.