What Is Node Pairing?
OpenClaw can pair with mobile devices and other nodes (computers, Raspberry Pis) to extend its capabilities beyond the host machine.
Paired Node Capabilities
Once paired, your agent can: - Take photos with front/back camera - Record screen activity - Get GPS location - Send notifications with custom sounds - Run commands on the remote device - Record video clips
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Browse Courses →Pairing a Device
On the Device
Install the OpenClaw companion app and enter your gateway URL.
Approve the Pairing
nodes(action: "pending") # See pairing requests
nodes(action: "approve", requestId: "abc123")Use Cases
Security Camera
"Take a photo from the front door camera"
nodes(action: "camera_snap",
node: "front-door-pi",
facing: "back")Find My Phone
"Where's my phone?"
nodes(action: "location_get",
node: "my-iphone")Smart Home Control
"Take a screenshot of the smart home dashboard"
nodes(action: "screen_record",
node: "home-hub",
durationMs: 1000)Remote Monitoring
"Check the server room temperature"
nodes(action: "run",
node: "server-room-pi",
command: ["cat", "/sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp"])Notification System
Send push notifications to paired devices:
nodes(action: "notify",
node: "my-phone",
title: "Deployment Complete",
body: "CopyPasteLearn v2.1 is live!",
priority: "timeSensitive")Priority Levels
- passive — silent delivery
- active — normal notification
- timeSensitive — breaks through Focus/DND
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Store device details in TOOLS.md:
### Nodes
- my-phone → iPhone 15, personal device
- front-door-pi → Raspberry Pi 4, camera module
- home-hub → Tablet in kitchen, smart home dashboardSecurity Considerations
- Pairing requires explicit approval
- Commands run with the paired device's user permissions
- Camera/location access follows device OS privacy settings
- All communication is encrypted
- You can revoke pairing at any time
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Ready to go deeper? Check out our hands-on course: OpenClaw Agent — practical exercises you can follow along on your own machine.
Related guide
Related reading: OpenClaw-driven CVE remediation with Ansible covers this in real-world detail.
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