Coucou brings coding agent approvals to phones and desktops

What this is about

Coucou is an open source companion app for people working with several coding agents. It shows active sessions at the top of the screen, surfaces questions, and lets users handle selected approvals without constantly switching between terminal windows. According to the project, supported tools include Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Copilot CLI, and OpenCode.

The timing matters because version 0.3.0 for macOS was released on October 10, 2026. The project also provides Windows and Linux builds plus links to iPhone and Android. Its source code uses the MIT License, while the name, character, and sounds have separate rights.

What Coucou actually does

On the computer, Coucou reads status events and integrations from connected agents. A small interface shows whether an agent is working, waiting for a decision, or finished. In supported workflows, users can allow or deny a request, answer questions, inspect changes as a diff, and jump to the relevant terminal.

The mobile link differs by platform. On iPhone, the documentation says Coucou uses Live Activities, notifications, and the Apple account's private CloudKit database. Approvals require Face ID. Android connects directly to a Windows or Linux computer over the local Wi-Fi network, and the feature is off by default. The project documentation says there is no signed Android package yet, so users currently need to build it themselves.

Coucou can also provide chats through Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, or local models using the user's own API keys. Version 0.3.0 adds voice control on macOS. According to the release notes, speech recognition runs locally, while recognized words and data read for an answer go to Anthropic when Claude is used.

Why it matters

Coding agents do not automatically save attention. When several sessions run in parallel, questions, permissions, and results are spread across multiple windows. Coucou addresses that coordination gap. It does not replace the agent or terminal; it makes waiting decisions visible.

For developers, broad tool support is the main attraction. A team can monitor Claude Code and Codex in parallel without opening a separate status interface for each provider. The local approach, without a Coucou account or its own telemetry, also reduces the number of additional accounts. It does not remove the data paths of connected model services. People using OpenAI or Anthropic still send content to those providers under their respective terms.

In plain language

Coucou works like a status board in a workshop. The mechanics remain at their stations, but one board shows which machine is running, where materials are missing, and where approval is needed. The board does not repair anything itself. Its main job is to stop a waiting task from going unnoticed.

A practical example

A developer starts three tasks in the morning: Claude Code revises tests, Codex checks a database migration, and Gemini CLI searches documentation. After 12 minutes, Codex waits for permission to run a command while Claude Code asks a multiple-choice question. Coucou shows both events at the edge of the screen. The developer checks the full command in the terminal, allows it, and then answers the question.

While away from the desk, she can review another narrowly scoped request on her iPhone and approve it with Face ID. For a long or unclear command, she returns to the computer. A sensible first test is therefore not to enable every remote approval immediately. It is better to use an unimportant test repository with two agent sessions and verify which events are shown in full.

Scope and limits

First, a compact notification remains a summary. Security-sensitive commands, large diffs, and production access should be inspected in the complete terminal view before approval. Biometric confirmation protects the button, but it does not judge what a command will do.

Second, features and maturity differ by platform. The macOS build is signed and notarized, while the project says its Windows installer is not yet code-signed. As of October 12, 2026, the Android app needs to be built from source.

Third, open source does not mean independently audited. The repository is young, moving quickly, and had many open issues on October 12, 2026. Teams should inspect integrations, key storage, and network links themselves. For sensitive repositories, start without cloud chat and without mobile pairing.

SEO and GEO keywords

Coucou, coding agent monitor, Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, agent approvals, developer tool, open source, macOS, Windows, Linux, mobile agent control