nearby setup

Nearby setup copies your Tessera configuration from one device to another, directly over the local network. There is no account, no cloud, and no relay — the two devices talk to each other, compare a code, and encrypt the transfer end to end. Passwords and private keys never move; the sending device decides explicitly what does.

Before you start

Both devices need Tessera installed, on compatible versions — a mismatch stops cleanly and says which device to update.
Both must be on the same network, with the iOS Local Network permission granted, and both must stay in the foreground on the setup screen — that's the only time either device is visible.
The sending device approves the transfer with Face ID or the passcode.

The flow

On the new device, the first-open screen — bring your setup with you — offers to inherit from a nearby device. Tap find nearby devices. (Already past first open? The same flow lives in settings → sync & continuity → receive setup from nearby device.)
On your existing device, open settings → sync & continuity → send setup to nearby device and keep the screen open.
The new device lists your existing device; tap it to open an encrypted channel.
Both devices show a six-digit code. Confirm only if they match — a mismatch ends the attempt and fresh keys are used next time.
Your existing device chooses what to copy (below), then approves the whole batch with one Face ID prompt.
The transfer runs, the origin installs the new device's public key on the hosts you selected, and both sides show a receipt.

Tessera's nearby setup grant screen: optional host data checkboxes — launch commands, notes, environment variables, startup snippets, trusted host keys — all off by default, above a host-grants summary reading 'no passwords or private keys move' and an approve selected batch button. — The sending device lists every host and field before anything moves.

Choosing what to copy

The grant screen on the sending device is explicit about every field:

always (when you approve)	opt-in, off by default	never on the wire
hosts — name, address, port, user, transport, launch mode, tags; jump routes; forwarding rules; portable appearance and terminal settings	launch commands · notes · environment variables · startup snippets · trusted host keys	passwords · private keys · key material of any kind · security settings · session state

The opt-in fields are separate because they can carry secrets (launch commands and environment variables often do) or change trust decisions (imported host keys are trusted without a fresh prompt). They reset to off on every new attempt.

For each host the origin can also grant access: it installs the new device's own public key using its existing key-based access. Password-only hosts are excluded — the password stays where it is, and the new device asks for it on first connect.

After the transfer

The new device shows what arrived — hosts, jump routes, trusted keys — and a per-host access receipt: authorized where a key grant succeeded, and a configure later shortcut into the host editor where one didn't. Imported hosts carry no credentials, so anything not key-authorized simply prompts on first connect.

A few behaviors worth knowing:

Nothing is ever overwritten. A host that already exists locally is skipped, and a conflicting trusted host key is kept aside and flagged for review in known hosts rather than replaced.
Appearance and terminal settings from the origin are applied to the new device as-is.
Backgrounding either app cancels the transfer; nothing partial is kept as granted until its key installation actually succeeded.
On the free tier, an import that would exceed the saved-host limit asks you to choose what to keep — or unlock unlimited hosts.

This is not a sync

Nearby setup is a one-time copy, not a background sync — after it completes, the two devices are independent again. For moving between live sessions on devices you already set up, see continuity.