Settings

What it is

Settings is the long tail of configuration — the parts you set once and forget, but can’t live without. On web it’s a full routed area with nine sub-pages. On desktop it mirrors the web structure plus a macOS-specific “Desktop app” subsection.

Where to find it

On desktop

Claude menu → Settings, or Cmd-,.

On the web

claude.ai/settings/general — profile, notifications, appearance, voice.
claude.ai/settings/account — account management.
claude.ai/settings/data-privacy-controls — privacy.
claude.ai/settings/billing — plans and billing.
claude.ai/settings/usage — token / request usage.
claude.ai/settings/capabilities — memory, tool access, visuals, code execution, skills.
claude.ai/settings/connectors — connector management (also reachable from Customize).
claude.ai/settings/claude-code — Claude Code settings.
claude.ai/settings/browser-extension — Claude in Chrome settings.

How to use it

Most settings work identically on desktop and web — open the panel and pick a sub-page from the sidebar. The nine shared sub-pages cover profile, account, privacy, billing, usage, capabilities, connectors, Claude Code, and Claude in Chrome.

The desktop-only content lives under the Desktop app heading at the bottom of the settings sidebar.

Desktop app — General

Run on startup — start Claude automatically when you log in.
Quick access shortcut — press Option twice from anywhere on your desktop to open a composer without switching windows.
Voice shortcut — press Caps Lock once to start dictation; press again to stop.
Show Claude in the menu bar — adds a persistent menu-bar icon.
Keep computer awake — prevents your Mac from idle-sleeping while Claude is open so scheduled tasks can complete. Your display can still turn off; closing the laptop lid still sleeps.
Browser Use / Allow all browser actions — Claude browses and interacts with any website in Chrome without asking per session. Applies to new sessions only; carries a data-risk notice.
Computer use (Beta) — lets Claude take screenshots and control your keyboard and mouse in apps you explicitly allow.
Denied apps — add apps that Claude should never be permitted to access, even indirectly.
Accessibility / Screen Recording — shows macOS permission status for both. Required for Computer use and Browser Use to function.

Desktop app — Extensions

Browse and manage local desktop extensions — Claude’s direct integrations with apps and tools on your Mac. Use Browse extensions to discover new ones; Advanced settings to configure existing ones.

Desktop app — Developer

Add and manage local MCP servers you’re building or testing. Each server shows its name, run status, command, and arguments. Controls: Edit Config, View Logs, Advanced options.

Good to know

Desktop’s “Desktop app” subsection adds macOS-specific controls the web doesn’t have — startup behaviour, global shortcuts, menu-bar presence, browser/computer-use permissions, local extensions, and local MCP server management.
Customize vs. Settings — think of Customize as “how Claude behaves when it works for you” (skills, connectors, agentic defaults) and Settings as “how your account and app are configured” (billing, profile, notifications). They overlap slightly on Connectors, with Customize being the canonical home.
Capabilities is worth a visit — it’s where memory, tool access, visual generation, and code execution live. Sensible defaults, but worth a once-over.

What’s changed recently

2026-05-03 — Desktop coverage verified against build 1.5354.0 via automated pipeline sweep. Filled Desktop app → General, Extensions, and Developer sections. Promoted platforms.desktop.status from stub to covered.
2026-04-18 — Page stubbed. Desktop coverage needs expansion; web coverage is sourced from web-sitemap.md but not yet fleshed as prose.