Computer Use

What it is

Computer use lets Claude work your desktop the way you would — clicking, typing, opening apps — when there’s no faster route to the task. It runs inside Cowork and Claude Code in the Claude desktop app.

Claude reaches for the most precise tool first. If a connector covers what you need, it uses that. If not, it tries a browser. Only when neither works does it start driving your screen. The order matters: pulling messages through a Slack connection takes seconds where navigating Slack on screen takes minutes, and there’s much more to go wrong.

It is in beta, and the risks are real — Claude sees what’s on your screen, one app can launch another you never approved, and prompt-injection defences aren’t perfect. Read Anthropic’s guidance on using Cowork safely before you switch it on.

Where to find it

On desktop

Settings → This computer → System, then the Computer use section — it’s badged Beta — and the Enable computer use switch.
Once it’s on, it’s available in any Cowork or Claude Code session running on this computer.

How to use it

Turn it on

Update to the current Claude desktop app.
Open Settings → This computer → System and scroll to Computer use.
Turn on Enable computer use.
Check the macOS permission rows underneath — Accessibility and Screen recording both need to be granted.
Start a Cowork or Claude Code task that involves a local app. Claude asks before it touches each new application.

Decide how much of the screen Claude gets

How Claude uses the apps you allow offers two settings:

Background — Claude works inside the apps you’ve allowed in background windows while you carry on using your computer, and asks before taking full control of the screen. Anthropic documents this as the default on macOS 15 and later.
Full control — Claude takes the pointer and keyboard.

Unhide apps when Claude finishes brings back any app that was hidden during a full-control task once Claude stops.

Keep Claude out of the things it shouldn’t touch

Claude asks permission for every new application.
Investment and trading platforms and cryptocurrency apps are blocked by default.
Denied apps is your own list: anything on it has Claude’s requests rejected automatically. Add one with Add app.
You can interrupt a task at any point.

Watch the fallback order

Connector — Gmail, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Slack. Fastest and most reliable.
Browser — the built-in browser, or Chrome via Claude in Chrome.
Screen interaction — Claude clicks and types on your actual desktop.

If you’re watching Claude fumble through a UI, check whether a connector exists for that tool; adding it in Customize → Connectors makes the next run much faster.

Good to know

Pro and Max only. Team and Enterprise don’t have it yet.
macOS 15 or later, and Windows.
Local access needs the machine awake with the desktop app open. A cloud task can continue but loses access to your screen while the app is offline.
There is no sandbox between Claude and your applications. Unlike Cowork’s ordinary file and code work, this happens on your real desktop, to your real files.
Apps can pull in other apps. Clicking a link in Mail can open Chrome even though you never granted Chrome access — the OS does that, not Claude.
Keep it away from sensitive apps. Healthcare, finances, legal, anything holding other people’s personal data. Close those windows before you start.
Memory distinguishes optional sensitive topics from never-saved data. Health information is excluded unless you enable sensitive-topic memory. Anthropic says government ID numbers, criminal history, financial account numbers and immigration status are never saved to memory. This does not prevent information appearing in a screenshot during computer use.

What’s changed recently

2026-10-07 — The controls are now under This computer → System and remain badged Beta. Background / Full control, app denials and permission rows were inspected without enabling or exercising computer use.
2026-09-13 — The setting now lives in a Computer use section of Settings → Desktop app → General, badged Beta, with the switch named Enable computer use. Added since the last check: a How Claude uses the apps you allow choice between Background (the default) and Full control, an Unhide apps when Claude finishes switch, a Denied apps list with an Add app control, and Accessibility / Screen recording permission rows shown inline.
2026-04-18 — Page created from official help-center article.