Claude Cowork Expands to Web and Mobile

This article introduces how to use Claude Cowork, which extends the agent capabilities of Claude Code to knowledge work beyond coding.

Availability

Claude Cowork is available for paid plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise) and can be used on the following platforms:

- Claude Desktop for macOS — Click here to download

- Claude Desktop for Windows — Cowork requires the latest version of Claude for Windows. Please download or update at claude.com/download.

- Web version, located at claude.ai

- Claude Mobile, in the latest versions of Claude for iOS and Claude for Android

Chat and Cowork share a home page, so you can launch both from the same location. On any interface, find the message box and select "Cowork", then describe your task. To return to regular conversation, select "Chat".

Claude Cowork is in beta on web and mobile devices and will roll out gradually over the coming weeks, starting with the Max plan, followed by more plans.

What is Claude Cowork?

Claude Cowork uses the same agent architecture as Claude Code, without requiring a terminal. Claude does not respond to prompts one by one, but can take on complex multi-step tasks and execute them on your behalf.

With Cowork, you can describe a result, then leave and come back later to view the completed work — formatted documents, organized files, comprehensive research, etc. Cowork runs your sessions remotely (beta), so your sessions and files are stored in your Claude account and can be synchronized between desktop, web, and mobile devices. Chat and Cowork now share a home page, so handing tasks to Claude uses the same message box as having a conversation. Through scheduled tasks, Claude can automatically complete work for you. Through projects, you can organize related tasks into independent workspaces, each with its own files, links, instructions, and memory.

Important Notes:

- Due to Cowork's agent nature and internet access permissions, it has unique risks.

- Cowork adheres to your current network egress permissions. - Important Note: Network egress permissions do not apply to Web Fetch or Web Search tools or MCP, including Claude in Chrome. Web Fetch runs on the server side, limited to search results and URLs you share.

- Team or Enterprise plan owners can disable Web Search for Cowork and Chat in Organization Settings > Features, or disable it for Claude in Chrome via Organization Settings > Claude in Chrome.

- You can control Cowork tasks and delete tasks at any time using the "Delete" option (click next to the task

- Cowork activity is currently not captured in the Compliance API.

- If you are a Team or Enterprise plan administrator, you can use OpenTelemetry (OTel) to monitor Claude Cowork activity across the entire organization.

- Please check Safe Use of Cowork for more information.

For important limitations and considerations for Team and Enterprise organizations using Cowork, please refer to Cowork for Team and Enterprise Plans.

Key Features

- Work Anywhere: Remote sessions follow your Claude account. Start a task on one device, guide it from another, and retrieve completed output anywhere. See Using Claude Cowork on Web, Desktop, and Mobile.

- Work Continues Without You: In remote sessions, Claude continues working when you close your laptop or leave.

- Direct Local File Access: On desktop, Claude can read and write your local files without manual upload or download.

- Sub-agent Coordination: Claude breaks down complex work into smaller tasks and coordinates parallel workflows to complete them.

- Professional Output: Generates polished deliverables, such as Excel spreadsheets with working formulas, PowerPoint presentations, and formatted documents.

- Edit Drafts In Place: When Claude drafts a Markdown document, highlight the text you want to change, click "Edit with Claude", and enter your request. Claude will edit at the marked location without needing to describe that section in the task thread.

- Long-Running Tasks: Handles complex tasks over long periods without interrupting your progress due to conversation timeouts or context limits.

- Scheduled Tasks: Create and save tasks that you can have Claude run on demand or automatically at your chosen frequency. Scheduled tasks run remotely, requiring no device to be online.

- Spreadsheets and Presentations: Cowork can generate spreadsheets and slides, which can be further edited using Claude for Excel and PowerPoint.

- Projects: Group related tasks into separate workspaces, each with its own files, context, instructions, and memory. See Organizing Your Tasks with Projects in Cowork.

- Browser Actions: Claude can open Chrome and work on websites — clicking, typing, navigating, and filling forms — for tasks involving websites. See Getting Started with Claude in Chrome.

How Claude Cowork Runs Your Tasks

Cowork runs your tasks remotely (beta). Claude's work runs in an isolated environment on Anthropic's servers, and your sessions and files are saved to your Claude account. Even if you close your laptop, the work continues, and you can open the same session from any device.

When a task requires content on your computer (such as local files or your browser), Claude accesses it through the Claude Desktop application on that computer. When you start a task in Cowork, Claude:

- Analyzes your request and creates a plan.

- Breaks down complex work into sub-tasks when needed.

- Runs code and shell commands in an isolated environment on Anthropic servers.

- Coordinates multiple parallel workflows where appropriate.

- Delivers completed output to your session, where you can preview and download them.

You can maintain visibility into what Claude is planning and executing throughout the process, allowing you to guide at important moments or let Claude run independently.

Getting Started

Requirements

- Paid Claude Subscription: Cowork is only available for paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise).

- For Local File Access, Browser Use, and Computer Use: Claude Desktop application (for macOS or Windows), opened and connected. These features access content on your computer, so they require the application even if your session runs remotely.

- Active Internet Connection: Required throughout the session.

Starting a Cowork Session

Chat and Cowork share a home page. To start a session on any interface:

- Open Claude in the claude.ai web version, Claude Desktop app, or Claude Mobile app.

- Select "Cowork" in the message box.

- Describe the task you want Claude to complete.

- Review Claude's approach, then let it run.

Note: The session continues running even if the desktop app is closed or the computer is asleep. If your task uses local files, browser, or computer, keep the desktop app open so Claude can access them.

What to Expect During Tasks

When Claude processes tasks in Cowork:

- Progress indicators show Claude's actions at each step.

- Transparency: Claude displays its reasoning and approach so you can follow along.

- Guidance: You can intervene at any time to correct direction or provide additional guidance mid-task.

- Check Anywhere: Open the same session on another interface to monitor progress, answer Claude's questions, or redirect work.

- Parallel Work: For complex tasks, Claude may coordinate multiple sub-agents working simultaneously.

- Delete Protection: When using Cowork, Claude requires your explicit permission to permanently delete any files. You will see a permission prompt and need to select "Allow" for Claude to execute the deletion task.

Tasks can run for longer periods depending on complexity. You can monitor progress or leave and return when Claude is finished.

Adding Global and Folder Instructions

Global Instructions

You can set standing instructions for Claude that apply to every Cowork session. Use this feature to specify your preferred tone, output format, or role background.

To set global instructions:

- Navigate to Settings > Cowork.

- Click "Edit" next to Global Instructions.

- Enter your instructions in the text box and click "Save":

Folder Instructions

Folder instructions add project-specific context to Cowork when you select a local folder on your desktop. Claude can also update these instructions itself during the session.

Claude Cowork Plugins

Plugins customize how Claude works in Cowork for your role, team, and company. Each plugin bundles skills, connectors, and sub-agents into a package. For details on finding, installing, and customizing plugins, see Using Plugins in Cowork.

Scheduling Recurring Tasks

You can set tasks for Claude to run automatically or on demand. To schedule a task, enter /schedule in any Cowork task. You can also click "Scheduled" in the left sidebar to view, create, and manage your scheduled tasks.

Scheduled tasks run remotely, so they do not require your computer to be awake or the desktop app to be open.

For more in-depth details, see Scheduling Recurring Tasks in Cowork.

Usage Limits

Processing tasks with Cowork consumes more usage quota than chatting with Claude. This is because complex multi-step tasks are computationally intensive and require more tokens to execute.

If you frequently reach usage limits when using Cowork.

This page provides an editorial summary based on publicly available information. It is not a republished article. Use the source link below for the original report.