Windows SSH Login

Redock connects to Windows through SSH, not Remote Desktop. To use a Windows PC as a Redock Host, enable Microsoft OpenSSH Server, start the sshd service, and make sure TCP port 22 is reachable from your iPhone or iPad.

Before You Start

Use Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, or Windows Server 2025.
Sign in with an account that can install optional features.
Put the iPhone or iPad and Windows PC on the same LAN, Tailscale network, ngrok TCP endpoint, or another reachable network path.
Prefer SSH Key authentication for long-term use.

Install from Settings

Open Settings.
Search for Optional Features.
Open Add an optional feature.
Search for OpenSSH Server.
Install OpenSSH Server.
Open Services.
Find OpenSSH SSH Server.
Set Startup type to Automatic.
Start the service.

Installing OpenSSH Server normally creates the Windows firewall rule for inbound SSH on TCP port 22. If Redock cannot connect, check that this rule is enabled.

Install from PowerShell

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object Name -like 'OpenSSH.Server*'
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Server~~~~0.0.1.0
Start-Service sshd
Set-Service -Name sshd -StartupType Automatic

If the firewall rule is missing, create it:

New-NetFirewallRule -Name OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP -DisplayName "OpenSSH Server (sshd)" -Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -Action Allow -LocalPort 22

Check the service:

Get-Service sshd

Find the Windows Host Address

For same-LAN setup, find the Windows IP:

ipconfig

Use the IPv4 address of the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, for example 192.168.1.35.

To confirm your Windows username:

whoami

If whoami prints DESKTOP-1234\alex, try alex as the Redock Username first. For domain or managed accounts, use the account format accepted by your Windows OpenSSH configuration.

Redock Host Settings

Name: Windows PC
Host: 192.168.1.35
Port: 22
Username: alex
Connection Mode: SSH
Auth: Password or SSH Key

After connecting, you will usually land in the Windows default shell configured for OpenSSH. Paths and commands are Windows paths, for example:

cd C:\Users\alex\Projects\my-app
git status

SSH Keys on Windows

For key authentication, add the Redock public key to:

C:\Users\alex\.ssh\authorized_keys

Make sure the file belongs to that user account. If Windows rejects the key, inspect OpenSSH logs in Event Viewer and check file permissions on .ssh and authorized_keys.

Troubleshooting

Connection refused: sshd is not running, port 22 is blocked, or the firewall rule is disabled.
Connection timed out: the IP address is wrong, the devices are on different networks, or the network blocks inbound TCP.
Authentication failed: check the Windows username, password, SSH key, and account policy.
Command not found: install Git, Node, Python, or the AI coding agent on Windows and make sure it is in the OpenSSH shell PATH.