Claude cloud tasks become the only choice for new work on October 6, 2026. On that date, new Claude Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans run on Anthropic’s servers, and the "Only on your computer" option in Settings > General is removed.
In plain terms, the work Claude does for you stops happening on your laptop. It happens on Anthropic’s machines instead, and your sessions and files are saved to your Claude account. You can start a task on your desktop, check it from your phone, and close the laptop while it keeps going.
The short version: most Claude cloud tasks will not feel different from local ones. The change matters for anything that touches files on your computer, your browser or other apps on your machine. Those still work, but only while the Claude desktop app is open on that computer. If that describes your setup, you have until October 6 to plan for it.
This builds on our August look at Cowork cloud sessions, when running in the cloud was still something you could turn off. It also follows the Claude Cowork merger, which folded Cowork into ordinary Claude conversations.
What changes on October 6
Anthropic’s help article on using Cowork on web, desktop and mobile sets out three changes for Pro and Max plans.
- New Cowork tasks run in the cloud.
- The Only on your computer option in Settings > General is removed.
- Scheduled tasks move to the cloud too, including ones that use files on your computer.
The key word is "new." Tasks you already started on your computer stay there. You can keep working on them until they are done. Anthropic also lets you download a task’s transcript from the note at the top of the task.
Nothing in the article describes a way to opt out of Claude cloud tasks after October 6. If you want Claude working only on your own machine, the option Anthropic points to is Claude Code, covered below.
What Claude cloud tasks actually mean
Before this change, a Cowork task on the desktop app could run on your own computer. Claude worked with your folders directly on that machine.
Claude cloud tasks run on Anthropic’s servers. Anthropic lists what you get in return:
- Work continues in the background, even with your laptop closed.
- Scheduled tasks run with no device online.
- Sessions follow you across desktop, web and mobile.
For a busy communications or IT lead, that is the appeal. You can hand Claude a report at 5 p.m., shut the laptop, and read the result on your phone that evening.
The trade-off with Claude cloud tasks is reach. A server in Anthropic’s data center cannot see your hard drive on its own. Anything on your computer now has to be fetched through the desktop app.
What still needs your computer and the desktop app
This is the part to read closely. For Claude cloud tasks, Anthropic says four things only work while the Claude desktop app is open on your computer.
| Capability | Desktop app open | Desktop app closed |
|---|---|---|
| Read and write files in connected folders | Works | Task keeps running, cannot reach the files |
| Local connectors, plugins and MCP servers | Works | Not available |
| Browser use (built-in browser or Claude in Chrome) | Works | Not available |
| Computer use (clicking and typing on your screen) | Works | Not available |
Claude cloud tasks have one more condition on local files. Anthropic says a cloud session can reach your connected folders only if the session was started on the desktop. A task started from your phone cannot reach into your laptop’s folders.
So the practical rule is simple. If a task needs your files or your browser, start it on the computer that has them, and leave the app open until it finishes.
Scheduled Claude cloud tasks and local files
Scheduled tasks need the most attention. Anthropic’s scheduled tasks article says they run remotely, so they keep their cadence even when your computer is asleep or the app is closed. They are available on all paid plans.
That is good news for a weekly report built from connected apps. It is a problem for a weekly report built from a spreadsheet on your desktop.
A scheduled task that reads a local folder will still fire on time. If the desktop app is closed at that moment, the task runs without access to those files. Depending on how you wrote it, it may fail or produce an incomplete result.
The move has been underway for a while. Anthropic’s Cowork changelog noted on September 11 that the automatic move of scheduled tasks to the cloud had started for some accounts. A September 10 entry mentions local projects moving to claude.ai for accounts where that move had begun.
Which plans are affected
Anthropic’s help article names Pro and Max for the switch to Claude cloud tasks on October 6. It does not describe the same date for Team or Enterprise.
Team and Enterprise organizations already have an admin setting called "Run Cowork in the cloud." When we reviewed Anthropic’s admin documentation for the merger post, it was on by default for Team and off by default for Enterprise. A Team member may already be running in the cloud without knowing it.
If you manage a Team or Enterprise plan, check that setting under Organization settings. Then decide on purpose which way your organization runs.
What happens to your files
When a cloud session needs a file from your computer, Anthropic says Claude fetches a copy of just that file. It does not copy the whole folder.
When you delete a session, the copies Claude fetched are deleted too, under Anthropic’s data retention practices. Whether your conversations are used to improve Claude’s models depends on the "Help improve our AI models" setting in Settings > Privacy.
For most readers, the practical question is simpler. Some client or member data is meant to stay on your organization’s own machines. If that applies to you, check which tasks touch those folders before October 6.
If you need work to stay on your computer
Anthropic’s answer is Claude Code. The help article says Claude Code in the desktop app runs on your computer and keeps your folders and history there.
That fits developers and web teams who already work in a code folder. If you are new to it, our overview of what Claude Code is covers the basics. Our comparison of Claude Code’s local, cloud and remote options explains where each one runs.
There is a catch. Anthropic says your Cowork projects and scheduled tasks do not carry over to Claude Code. Moving there means setting them up again.
A checklist before October 6
For agencies, nonprofits and associations using Claude Pro or Max, a short checklist covers most of the move to Claude cloud tasks.
- Finish or save local tasks. Existing local tasks keep working, but download transcripts for anything you want to keep.
- List scheduled tasks that read local files. Either keep a computer awake with the desktop app open when they run, or move the source files somewhere a connector can reach.
- Check tasks that use your browser or screen. Browser use and computer use now need the desktop app open for the whole run.
- Start local-file tasks on the desktop. A task started on your phone cannot reach your computer’s folders.
- Review sensitive folders. Know which connected folders hold data that should stay on your machines.
- Team and Enterprise admins: check the toggle. Confirm how “Run Cowork in the cloud” is set for your organization.
- Pick a local tool if you need one. For work that must stay on your computer, plan the move to Claude Code, and budget time to rebuild projects and schedules.
Is anyone else doing this?
Anthropic is not alone in moving agent work to the cloud this year. OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and xAI have all made cloud the default place their agents run in 2026, with your own computer as an add-on.
The difference is the switch. Anthropic is removing the option to keep new Cowork tasks on your computer. We will compare what each vendor’s cloud agent can and cannot reach in a follow-up post.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changes for Claude on October 6, 2026?
New Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans run in the cloud, on Anthropic’s servers. The “Only on your computer” option in Settings > General is removed, and scheduled tasks move to the cloud as well.
What are Claude cloud tasks?
Claude cloud tasks are Cowork tasks that run on Anthropic’s servers instead of your computer. Sessions and files are saved to your Claude account, work continues with your laptop closed, and you can pick up a task on web, desktop or mobile.
Can I still use files on my computer?
Yes, while the Claude desktop app is open on that computer and the task was started on the desktop. If the app is closed, the task keeps running but cannot reach your local files.
What happens to tasks I already started on my computer?
They stay on your computer, and you can keep working on them until they are done. You can also download a task’s transcript from the note at the top of the task.
Do scheduled tasks still work if my computer is off?
Yes. Scheduled tasks run remotely, so they run on time with your computer asleep. A scheduled task that needs local files will not be able to reach them unless the desktop app is open when it runs.
Does this apply to Team and Enterprise plans?
Anthropic’s article names Pro and Max for October 6. Team and Enterprise plans have an admin setting, “Run Cowork in the cloud,” which was on by default for Team and off for Enterprise when we checked.
Does Claude upload my whole folder to the cloud?
No. Anthropic says Claude fetches a copy of just the file a session needs. When you delete the session, those copies are deleted too, under Anthropic’s data retention practices.
Can I opt out and keep tasks on my computer?
Not for new Cowork tasks on Pro and Max after October 6. Anthropic points to Claude Code in the desktop app for work that should stay on your computer.
Do my Cowork projects move to Claude Code?
No. Anthropic says projects and scheduled tasks do not carry over to Claude Code. You would need to set them up again there.
Do browser use and computer use still work?
Yes, but only while the desktop app is open on your computer. Claude uses its built-in browser or Chrome through Claude in Chrome, and computer use needs the app running for the whole task.
