Claude computer use lets Claude click, type and open apps on your own Mac or Windows computer. Anthropic says it keeps working after you walk away. Its computer use help article sets one condition: "Your computer just needs to be on." The same article says it must be awake, with the Claude Desktop app open.
That differs from the cloud model Anthropic moved most Claude work to on October 6. A cloud task keeps running with your laptop shut. Claude computer use needs your machine awake and the app open.
The short version: Claude computer use is a beta for Pro and Max plans only, on macOS and Windows. Team and Enterprise plans do not have it, so there is no admin console for it. On macOS 15 or later it works in background windows; computer use itself needs macOS 14 or later. Keep the computer awake and the app open. Approve only the apps a task needs. Block anything holding money, health or member records.
This post covers what it does and how background mode differs by system. Then it covers what "while you’re away" requires, phone control, cloud and scheduled tasks, and what IT should allow.
What Claude computer use does, and the order it tries tools
Anthropic’s help article says Claude uses "the most precise tool first" and follows this order in Cowork.
- Connectors, such as Gmail, Google Drive, Microsoft 365 or Slack. Anthropic calls this the fastest and most reliable path.
- The browser: the one built into the Claude Desktop app, or Claude in Chrome.
- Screen interaction: clicking, typing and moving through your apps.
So screen control is the last resort. Anthropic’s examples are apps with no connector, such as an internal dashboard or a specialized tool your team uses. For a nonprofit, that might be an old desktop accounting package or a membership database with no API.
The help article says screen work takes longer than a connector and is more error-prone. Complex multi-step tasks "sometimes need a second try."
Computer use also works in Claude Code in the desktop app. Anthropic’s Claude Code desktop documentation says it is off by default. Those docs call it a research preview; the help article calls it a beta.
Background mode: macOS 15 and later vs everything else
On macOS 15 or later, the help article says Claude computer use runs in background windows. You can keep using your computer while it works. It does not take your pointer or keyboard, and it generally waits if you are typing. The first time a task needs the full screen in a session, Claude asks before taking over.
To let Claude take over the screen instead, open the Computer use section in Settings > Capabilities. If it isn’t there, Anthropic says to look under Settings > System, This computer. Set "How Claude uses the apps you allow" to Full control.
Two version numbers matter, and they come from different pages.
- macOS 14 or later for computer use at all. Anthropic’s desktop changelog for October 1 says it removed computer use on macOS 13 and earlier. The Claude Code docs say the same.
- macOS 15 or later for background windows, per the help article.
On macOS 14 and on Windows, Anthropic does not describe background mode. The Claude Code docs say that outside background mode, Claude hides your other windows while it works. It restores them when it finishes.
Anthropic is still fixing background mode. The changelog for October 13 fixed background computer use "taking your keyboard" when a dropdown opened. On October 15, Anthropic fixed text being typed twice into a busy web page in a background app.
What "while you’re away" actually requires
The help article lists the condition under current limitations. The wording is short: "Your computer needs to be awake and the Claude Desktop app needs to be open for computer use to work."
That gives Claude computer use three requirements.
- The computer is on.
- The computer stays awake.
- The Claude Desktop app is open.
Anthropic’s computer use article does not say what happens if the computer sleeps partway through a task. It does not mention a closed laptop lid or a locked screen either. Treat a sleeping machine as the end of screen access until Anthropic says otherwise.
Anthropic’s article on using Cowork on web, desktop and mobile explains the split. A cloud session keeps running if the app closes, but it can’t reach your local files. On macOS, the Claude Code docs add two system permissions. Accessibility lets Claude click and type. Screen Recording lets it see the screen. Our August post on Claude Cowork cloud sessions covered the cloud side of this split.
Steering Claude computer use from your phone
There are two ways to reach a desktop task from a phone. Only one is open to new users.
Dispatch. Anthropic launched Dispatch with computer use on March 23, 2026, in its "Put Claude to work on your computer" post. Anthropic’s Dispatch help article now says it "isn’t available to new users." Existing users can keep it for now. Its setup screen has a toggle to keep your computer awake. Our Claude Cowork explainer covered Dispatch at launch.
A desktop session steered from web or mobile. The web, desktop and mobile article says a session started on desktop "can be steered from web or mobile while the desktop app stays open" on your computer. Computer use from web and mobile works through the desktop app. You get a phone notification when Claude finishes or needs your input.
Start screen tasks on the computer that will do them. The same article says a cloud session reaches your connected folders only if it started on desktop. Scheduled tasks are the exception.
The Claude Code docs add one detail for Dispatch users. In Code sessions that Dispatch starts, app approvals expire after 30 minutes and prompt again.
How computer use differs from cloud and scheduled tasks
Anthropic now has three ways for Claude to work while you are elsewhere. They have different requirements.
| Feature | Where the work runs | What must stay on |
|---|---|---|
| Claude computer use | Your apps, on your screen | Your computer, awake, with the desktop app open |
| Cloud tasks (Pro and Max default since October 6) | Anthropic’s servers | Nothing, unless the task needs local files, browser or screen |
| Scheduled tasks | The cloud, for new tasks | Nothing, for connector-based tasks |
For cloud sessions, the web, desktop and mobile article says, "Close your laptop and Claude keeps going." It also says scheduled tasks no longer need your computer awake. Neither promise covers screen work.
We covered the October 6 move to cloud tasks and scheduled tasks in the cloud this month. For developers, our comparison of Claude Code local, cloud and Remote Control covers the same split. Per the September 4 changelog, the Code tab also has a "Keep computer awake while Claude works" setting.
Claude Duet, launched October 21, is different again. Anthropic’s Duet help article says it works on its own computer in the cloud and can’t see the files on yours.
Plans and availability as of October 2026
| Item | What Anthropic says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Pro and Max only; not Team or Enterprise | Help article, Claude Code docs |
| Status | Beta (help article); research preview (Claude Code docs) | Both pages |
| Systems | macOS 14 or later, and Windows; not the Linux beta | Changelog, Dispatch article |
| Where | Cowork and Claude Code in the Claude Desktop app | Help article |
The help article says Team and Enterprise plans "don’t have access to computer use at this time" in this beta. Anthropic’s Team and Enterprise Cowork article lists admin toggles for Cowork, cloud sessions and the built-in browser, but none for computer use, which fits.
For an IT lead, that is the key point. Staff using Claude computer use for work are on personal Pro or Max plans. Your admin settings do not reach them. We noted personal accounts used for work in the Claude Cowork merger.
What Anthropic says to block, and what an IT lead should allow
Anthropic’s Cowork safety article says computer use "has no sandbox between Claude and what’s on your screen" at all. File operations go through permission checks. Screen control does not.
The built-in controls come from the help article and the Claude Code docs.
- Per-app approval. Claude asks before using each app. Approvals last for the session.
- Blocked by default. Investment and trading platforms and cryptocurrency apps.
- Denied apps. Apps you list are refused without a prompt.
- Fixed tiers. Browsers and trading platforms are view only. Terminals and IDEs are click only. Everything else gets full control.
- Hidden folders. Since October 6, the changelog says, it no longer edits or saves hidden files such as `~/.aws` on macOS.
Anthropic’s own advice is to give no access to banking, healthcare or government apps. It also warns against using it for financial accounts, legal documents or medical information. Apps holding other people’s personal data are on the same list.
For a small nonprofit or association, a written rule should say who may turn on Claude computer use on a work machine. It should list the apps staff may approve and the apps to deny. Tasks touching money, signatures or member data stay with a person.
A short setup checklist
- Update the app. Install the latest Claude Desktop from Anthropic’s download page.
- Check the system. macOS 14 or later, or Windows. Use macOS 15 or later if you want background mode.
- Turn on Claude computer use. Find the Enable computer use toggle in Settings. On a Mac, grant Accessibility and Screen Recording.
- Set sleep. Change your operating system’s power settings so the computer does not sleep during a long task.
- Fill the denied list before the first task, with finance, health and records apps.
- Close sensitive windows before you leave.
- Start on the desktop, then follow along from your phone.
- Review the result before anything is sent or saved for good.
Similar features at OpenAI, Google and Microsoft
The other platforms have similar tools. OpenAI’s Enterprise help article says Computer Use lets Codex work with desktop apps on macOS and Windows. Admins can turn it off or limit it to selected apps, and on macOS can stop members from enabling locked computer use. We covered that in the ChatGPT Chrome extension post and earlier in Codex mobile. Google’s Gemini Mac app help page lets you start a Mac task from your phone. The app must be running on the Mac. Microsoft’s Copilot Studio documentation runs computer use on a Windows machine and suggests dedicating one to it. Our comparison of where each AI agent runs puts them side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Claude computer use?
It lets Claude click, type and open apps on your own computer when no connector or browser route can do the job. It works in Cowork and Claude Code in the Claude Desktop app.
Does Claude keep working if I walk away?
Yes. Anthropic says Claude computer use keeps going as long as the computer stays on and awake and the Claude Desktop app stays open. Anthropic does not say what happens if the computer sleeps mid-task.
Which macOS version do I need?
Computer use needs macOS 14 or later, per Anthropic’s October 1 changelog and the Claude Code docs. Background windows, where you can keep working alongside Claude, need macOS 15 or later.
Does it work in the background on Windows?
Anthropic describes background mode only for macOS 15 or later. On other systems, the Claude Code docs say Claude hides your other windows while it works and restores them after.
Which plans include Claude computer use?
Pro and Max, as a beta. Anthropic says Team and Enterprise plans do not have access at this time.
Can I start a computer use task from my phone?
You can steer a session started on your desktop from the web or mobile app while the desktop app stays open. Dispatch also does this, but Anthropic says it is not available to new users.
Is computer use the same as a cloud task?
No. Cloud tasks run on Anthropic’s servers and continue with your laptop closed. Computer use works on your own screen and needs the computer awake with the app open.
Which apps should I block?
Anthropic says to give no access to banking, healthcare or government apps. Add finance, payroll, donor and member systems to the denied apps list, and close sensitive windows before a task.
Can our IT team turn computer use off centrally?
Anthropic’s Team and Enterprise admin settings do not include a computer use control, because those plans do not have the feature. Staff on personal plans need a written policy.
