The chat composer

What it is

The composer is where you ask Claude questions or give it work to complete. In the unified experience, the same conversation can answer a quick question or handle a task with files, code and connected apps.

The rollout starts with Pro and Max and reaches accounts at different times. If your composer still has Chat | Cowork, you are using the earlier interface. The 7 October desktop and web inspections show the unified composer on this account.

Where to find it

On desktop

Select Claude → New in Claude Desktop. Below the composer are Project or folder, the model-and-effort picker and Manual permissions. Desktop also supplies access to local folders, browser actions and computer use while the app is open.

On the web

Select Claude → New at claude.ai. Below the composer are Project, the model-and-effort picker and Manual permissions. Cloud tasks continue when you leave the page. Work that needs your computer still relies on Claude Desktop.

How to use it

Describe the result you want, including any files or connected apps Claude should use.
Choose the model and effort level from the model picker.
Choose Manual or Auto for action permissions. Manual is the default and asks for approval; Auto checks actions automatically. This control is an approval setting, not project scope.
Send your request. Steer or stop Claude as it works.
Ask for a design, deck or document, or use Output to choose a template. Finished artifacts open alongside the conversation.

Both inspected + menus contain Add files or photos, Skills, Connectors, Design system, Plugins, Research and Memory. Desktop also shows Add folder and Record a skill; web shows Devices. Connector counts reflect your account. Neither inspected menu has Web search, Add from GitHub or Use style.

Research and search

Start Research with /deep-research or + → Research. Web search happens when useful, with no separate toggle in the unified experience.

Accounts with separate Chat and Cowork modes

If Chat | Cowork is still present, select Chat for a conversation or Cowork for a task. The September inspection found different + menus in those modes: Research and Web search were Chat controls, while local task tools belonged to Cowork. These older menus should not be used as a checklist for a migrated account.

Good to know

Add from GitHub is unsupported in the unified experience. Authorising the connector does not restore that entry.
Incognito uses the previous experience, where Claude cannot create files or run code.
Tasks and chats share Recents. Older Cowork tasks remain there, but are excluded from unified search.
Your setup carries over. Projects, skills, connectors and existing tasks remain available as your account migrates.

What’s changed recently

2026-10-07 — The unified composer is visible on both platforms. Desktop has Project or folder, Add folder and Record a skill; web has Project and Devices. Both menus include Design system, Research and Memory.
2026-10-07 — documentation review. Updated for the unified conversation rollout. Current composer controls were inspected without sending a prompt; full-workflow verification dates and build remain unchanged.
2026-09-13 — Memory has joined Research and Web search as a third tick-box at the bottom of the + menu, on desktop and web. The desktop menu has nine entries and no Take a screenshot; the web menu has ten and keeps it. Verified on desktop build 1.52386.3.
2026-09-13 — The desktop top-level toggle now reads Chat and Cowork | Code, not Home | Code. The composer keeps its own separate Chat | Cowork toggle.
2026-09-13 — Chat file uploads are now 500 MB per file (they were 30 MB), per Anthropic’s upload article. Project files stay at 30 MB.
2026-09-13 — The seeded prompt chips — Write, Learn, Code, From Calendar, From Gmail — are gone from around the composer on both platforms. On the web the only tabs left on /new are Project and Manual, and they appear in Cowork mode.
2026-07-29 — A Chat | Cowork toggle appeared inside the composer, and the two modes gained different + menus. Use style disappeared from both menus on both platforms.
2026-07-12 — The separate Chat and Cowork tabs merged into one surface on desktop.