Connections

apfelclaw runs as a local backend on your Mac, but it can also expose controlled remote entry points through connection providers.

Current connection providers

  • Telegram — private bot access with one approved Telegram account and one linked private chat

Design goals

Connections are intended to keep the same core behavior as the local TUI:

  • The backend still owns sessions, routing, tools, and persistence
  • Remote messages still flow through the same IntentRouter and tool execution path
  • The configured assistantName is reused across clients
  • The local TUI is used for onboarding and status, but the backend keeps running after setup

Security model

Remote connections should stay narrow and explicit.

For the current Telegram integration, apfelclaw only accepts:

  • a single approved private chat
  • a single approved Telegram user ID

Other Telegram chats and other Telegram accounts are ignored.

Local setup flow

Remote providers are configured from the TUI with /remotecontrol commands.

Typical flow:

  1. Start the backend with ./apfelclaw
  2. Open the TUI with bun run dev
  3. Run /remotecontrol setup telegram <botToken>
  4. Send a private message to the Telegram bot
  5. Run /remotecontrol status telegram to confirm the approved chat and user

What’s next

  • Read the Telegram guide for the full setup flow
  • See the API Reference for the local endpoints that back the TUI onboarding flow