Anthropic brings Claude Cowork to mobile and web for remote work

Anthropic brings Claude Cowork to mobile and web for remote work

Anthropic announced on July 7, 2026, that it is expanding Claude Cowork from a desktop-only application to the web and mobile platforms. The update transitions the AI agent from a tool requiring an active computer session to one that runs remotely on Anthropic's servers, allowing tasks to continue in the background even after a user closes their laptop.

The expansion begins as a beta rollout over the next several weeks. Access will start with subscribers of the Max plan, which costs between $100 and $200 a month, with more plans to follow. The Pro plan is priced at $20 a month.

Asynchronous Workflow and Remote Sessions

Previously, users relied on a feature called Dispatch to send requests from smartphones, but this required the desktop app to remain open and the computer to stay awake. Under the new remote session model, Cowork operates in the cloud. This enables asynchronous delegation where users can start a task on a desktop, monitor progress via a mobile device, and receive notifications on their phones when the agent requires human input or permission to proceed.

This architecture also changes how scheduled tasks function. Because they now run remotely, users can set tasks to trigger without their computer being online. For example, a user could schedule a client briefing for 6 a.m. Monday, and the agent will have prepared research and follow-up emails by the time the user boots up their office computer.

Despite the move to the cloud, the desktop app remains the most comprehensive interface. Certain capabilities still require the desktop app to be open on a machine to function, including:

• Local file access, where Claude reads and writes to connected folders.
• Local connectors and plugins using local MCP servers.
• Browser use via Claude in Chrome.
• Computer use, a research preview for Pro and Max plans that allows the agent to click and navigate a screen.

Additionally, live artifacts remain exclusive to the desktop app. Projects are available across all surfaces, though those tied to local folders only support Cowork sessions on desktop.

Unified Interface and Usage Trends

Alongside the platform expansion, Anthropic is merging the Claude chatbot and the Cowork agent into a single home tab for web and desktop users. This creates one shared sidebar, search function, and area for Projects and Artifacts. Users can toggle between Chat and Cowork from the message box in the bottom left corner.

The company also released a report based on a May survey of 1.2 million anonymized sessions across more than 600,000 organizations. The data indicates that while AI agents are often associated with coding, Cowork is primarily used for non-coding administrative and business tasks. Software development accounted for only 8.7% of all sessions.

According to Anthropic, users are employing the tool to synthesize information from email threads, Slack channels, and meeting transcripts to generate reference documents and presentations. The company described Cowork as a way to handle the connective tissue of work that surrounds technical tasks.

Model Access and Limits

To mark the rollout, Anthropic is extending doubled Cowork usage limits through August 5. The company is also modifying the availability of Claude Fable 5, its most capable consumer model. Originally scheduled to shift to a token-based usage model on July 8, Fable 5 will now remain accessible for all paid plans through July 12.

Users can utilize up to 50% of their weekly usage limit on Fable 5 before they must either use usage credits or switch to a different model to continue working.