Why not sync the keys with something like syncthing? Then you can use whatever client you want (even just the terminal)
this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2026
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Not an answer, but I’m curious: what's wrong with just having several ssh keys, one per device?
In fact, that's generally what you want to do, since if one device gets lost or compromised, you just revoke access to the key for that device.
The primary issue is I don't always access devices from only those 3 systems. If I'm traveling or I wipe my device or get a new one, I would have to add the new key to many servers as authorized keys, and I'd need to have password access enabled in order to add the keys in the first place. Also, I want a key backed up in case of disaster since all of my devices are in my home most of the time. A few people use these systems, but only I maintain them.
For that scenario you could also consider using certificate based login. Just store your root certificate in a safe place (like a Keepass) an then sign new keys for your new devices when you get one.
https://docs.ssh.com/manuals/server-admin/44/User_Authentication_with_Certificates.html
and I'd need to have password access enabled in order to add the keys
Besides the other points, you could just add the public keys directly in the .ssh/authorized_keys(2) file of the server as long as you still have access from another device. That way you don't have to enable passwords.
Let's untangle those problems. I have a similar setup so I just want to share some ideas to show that you don’t need to copy keys.
If I'm traveling or I wipe my device or get a new one, I would have to add the new key to many servers as authorized keys
If you oftentimes access ssh from untrusted systems you’re kind of in a bad spot to begin with. The best thing you can have is a yubikey on a keychain. Everything else means you leak secret material (a password or a key) to a machine you don’t inherently trust.
Also, I want a key backed up in case of disaster since all of my devices are in my home most of the time
Again, something that you can easily solve with a hardware key [in a safe]. But realistically, in case of a disaster a local shell password login should be good enough?
I'd recommend you to think about what attacks are you trying to prevent by using a shared private key. I’m not saying it's a bad concept, inherently having it in your password manager (like 1Password that even has ssh-agent support) is pretty common. The problem with just the keys is that it's non-trivial to expire them if needed. You might be indeed better off with some web based authentication that you can access from any place which would ask you secret questions/send you a text message or do whatever 2FA you deem sufficient and mint you a short-lived certificate for ssh.
You can back up ~/.ssh though, and restore it on any system.
You can store an ssh key in Bitwarden or Keepass(XC) easily enough - Bitearden can certainly be configured as the actual source of your ssh keys with only a tiny bit of config effort
openssh client in foot and termux
Bitwarden can generate and store keys and also works as an SSH agent.
Warp terminal has rules you can sync online. I use them to connect to 30+ remote servers each with its own key that never leaves Bitwarden.
i store my ssh key on my yubikey using the gpg interface. On linux it's natively supported, on windows you need cleopatra and on android you can you OpenKeychain together with TermBot.
This won't sync the hosts you have, but at least you always will have your private key with you.
I switched from Termius to Termix: https://github.com/Termix-SSH/Termix. Same idea, I wanted open-source, free (they state 'forever-free'), and self-hostable. I used the Proxmox helper-script to install the 'server' as an LXC on my homelab, and then there are 'clients' for Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, etc. I just copied my SSH credentials, hosts, and snippets over from Termius and haven't found a need to go back. I'm a relatively novice user and found xpipe a bit complex for my use, but it's another solid option too.
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
| Fewer Letters | More Letters |
|---|---|
| LXC | Linux Containers |
| SFTP | Secure File Transfer Protocol for encrypted file transfer, over SSH |
| SSH | Secure Shell for remote terminal access |
3 acronyms in this thread; the most compressed thread commented on today has 15 acronyms.
[Thread #74 for this comm, first seen 8th Feb 2026, 07:40] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]
A password manager? I know Bitwarden and 1Password can store SSH keys and their desktop clients have an SSH agent. No idea about using your keys on Android though.
Xpipe is fantastic. I have to manage a LOT of SSH connections between work and homelab (well over 200 now) and Xpipe has been a god send.
I wished they'd create a MobaXterm for Linux.
What about small step sash ca?
I've been using it to secure all my stuff for over a year, no more copying keys about
Juicessh? One time payment, unfortunately not open source but can deal with a lot of services, you can use ssh key and I don't know what else you'd need but you can take a look (and test it for free since the payment is only to unlock features you might not need)
JuiceSSH dev disabled the paid features
Last update in 2021, delisted in Playstore, multiple security fixes are missing... Don't even think about it
I paid for it a long time ago, but will not use it anymore
Not the guy you replied to, but I'm a JuiceSSH user too, and I didn't know this. That sucks.
Yes it really sucks. I got aware of this as there was a security patch for openssh server and I waited for an update for JuiceSSH, but it never came.
Oh I never knew either!
Not that you mention it it is true that I have not seen it update in a long time. Since I'm only using it from time to time and locally (mainly) I've never bothered to check.
What are you using instead?
I use Termius, they have a paid version too as subscription service. This includes sync across devices etc. I don't need those pro features. I use SFTP and SSH and this works fine without paying. Never seen ads