Letting Claude Use Your Computer in Cowork and Claude Code
Claude can navigate your screen, open apps, fill spreadsheets, and complete tasks on your desktop. When it doesn't have a connector or tool for what you need, it does it directly.
When Claude doesn't have a connector or tool for what you need, it navigates your screen directly. It opens your apps, navigates your browser, fills in spreadsheets, and does anything you'd do sitting at your desk. Computer use is in research preview for Pro and Max plans.
1. How Claude Completes Tasks
When you assign a task, Claude follows a specific order:
- Connectors first. If a connector is available (Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, etc.), Claude uses it. This is the fastest and most reliable path.
- Browser second. When there isn't a connector, Claude navigates Chrome using Claude in Chrome.
- Screen interaction last. Claude uses computer use to interact directly with your screen by clicking, typing, and navigating your desktop apps.
Remote Execution
Assign a task from your phone, turn your attention to something else, and come back to finished work on your computer.
Scheduled Tasks
Tell Claude once to scan your email every morning or pull a report every Friday, and it handles it from there.
2. Permissions and Safeguards
Computer use runs outside the virtual machine, meaning Claude interacts with your actual desktop and apps.
- Per-app permissions. Claude asks for your permission before accessing each application. Some sensitive apps are blocked by default.
- App blocklist. You can prevent Claude from accessing certain apps by adding them to a blocklist. Requests to use blocked apps are automatically denied.
- Action review. The system scans for signs of prompt injection. You can stop Claude at any point.
3. Best Practices
- Start simple. Begin with research or organizing rather than complex multi-step workflows.
- Protect sensitive data. Do not give computer use access to sensitive apps like banking, healthcare, or government portals.
- Be specific. Make sure your prompts are specific and carefully tailored to avoid Claude doing things you didn't intend.
Update Claude Desktop
Download or update to the latest version at claude.com/download.
Pair with mobile
Pair your updated desktop app with your mobile app to unlock remote task assignment.
Start a session
Open Cowork or Claude Code in the desktop app and start a session.
Ask Claude to perform a task
Ask Claude to do something that involves an app on your computer.
Grant permission
Claude will ask for permission to access the app. Approve the prompt to let Claude proceed.