You open Claude for a quick question about an invoice. Three messages later, you're asking it to cross-check your monthly sales, write up a summary and prepare a few slides for your next live session.
Until now, that kind of shift meant starting over in Cowork, the mode where Claude works on long tasks on its own. Anthropic has removed that boundary: chat and Cowork are now a single Claude.
You type your request in the current conversation, and Claude decides for itself whether to reply in two lines or work for an hour.
If the desktop app is open, it works on your files and your apps. If not, it carries on from a computer hosted by Anthropic.
The Cowork switch is gone from the message box
Before the merge, the message box had two buttons in the bottom left: "Cowork" to start a work session, and "Chat" to go back to a regular conversation. You had to pick one before you'd even written your request.
According to Anthropic's documentation, that button no longer exists in the new interface. Claude works out the right mode from your message.
That makes your wording matter more. Say what you want to end up with: a number, a document, a presentation. If your request is vague, Claude asks questions before getting started.
One exception: Claude in Chrome, the extension that shows Claude in a side panel next to the web page you're viewing. There, opening the panel starts a Cowork session straight away.
Laptop closed, the task keeps going
A task can run on two machines: yours while the desktop app is running, or Anthropic's once you close your laptop.
The handover doesn't break the conversation, because sessions and files are tied to your Claude account. You can start a task in your browser, follow it on your phone, then grab the files on your computer.
Claude sends a notification to your phone when it's done or when it needs a decision from you. If you work alone, that saves you from keeping a tab open just to keep an eye on things.
Anthropic's documentation on Cowork surfaces spells out what works on each device:
| What you're doing | Where it works |
|---|---|
| Start, steer and review a task | Desktop, web, mobile |
| Pick up a session started elsewhere | Desktop, web, mobile |
| Connectors, skills and plugins | Desktop, web, mobile |
| Scheduled tasks and projects | Desktop, web, mobile |
| Local file access, browser, computer control | Desktop, or web and mobile with the desktop app open |
| Artifacts created from August 19, 2026 | Desktop and web |
| "Live" artifacts created before August 19, 2026 | Desktop only |
Artifacts are the documents and small apps Claude builds inside a conversation. If you built internal tools with it before August 19, 2026, they'll only open in the desktop app.
Reading your local files, driving a browser, controlling your computer: these three capabilities go through the desktop app, even when the session runs in the cloud. If you close your laptop, the task continues, but Claude loses access to your folders.
An hour-long autonomous task also draws on your usage quota, just like any other exchange. To see how that weekly counter fills up, read our article on the increase in Claude quotas.
Docs, Slides and Design come to the conversation
Anthropic also announced Claude Docs and Claude Slides, which create a document or a presentation right from the chat. Claude Design, the visual layout tool, now works inside conversations too.
Here's an example. You ask Claude for this week's sales summary for your course, including refunds to watch, plus five slides to show during your next live session.
You get back a document people can comment on, and an editable presentation you can download as a PowerPoint file. Both can be shared with a simple link.
For visuals, you describe what you want and Claude suggests a layout. We walk through this method step by step in our Claude Design course.
Skills are still available everywhere. They're instructions you write once so Claude always follows your method, and our Claude Skills guide shows you how to create one.
Which plans get the merge
The rollout started with Claude Pro and Claude Max subscriptions. According to Anthropic, the Team and free plans will follow, with no date given. There's nothing to turn on at your end.
Current prices and limits are on Claude's pricing page, and our comparison of Claude Pro, Max and Team plans explains what each one offers.
What's still unclear
At the time of the announcement, Anthropic described running Cowork in the cloud as a beta, with some features still missing depending on the device. Claude can do the most on your own computer, with the desktop app.
Two questions also remain without a clear answer: how much of the conversation Docs, Slides and Design pick up to do their work, and what permissions they ask for along the way.
To trigger a real work session, describe the result you expect. "Build an Excel file with my September sales by course" gets better results than "can you look at my sales?".
If you're new to these autonomous sessions, our Claude Cowork course shows you how to prepare your files, follow a long task and check the result.
Frequently asked questions
Is Claude Cowork still a separate product?
No, Cowork is now part of Claude. The same conversation handles quick questions and long tasks.
The name still shows up in Anthropic's documentation, which uses it to describe this autonomous way of working.
Can Claude keep working on a task if I close my computer?
Yes. If your computer is no longer available, the task continues on an Anthropic machine, in the same conversation.
You can follow progress from the web or your phone, and a notification lets you know when it's done.
Do I still need to install the Claude desktop app?
Yes, whenever Claude needs to act on your machine: local files, the browser and computer control all go through the desktop app.
Everything else, like starting a task, using connectors or scheduling work, also works from the web and mobile.
Who has access to the merged Cowork and chat?
Claude Pro and Claude Max subscribers first, with nothing to set up.
The Team and free plans are set to follow, with no date announced yet.