Anthropic has expanded access to its Claude Cowork AI agent to mobile and web platforms, starting with Max rs users. The feature, previously limited to desktop, will roll out gradually over the coming weeks. Users can now initiate tasks at their desk, check on progress from their phone, and view results in a browser. Claude continues to operate in the background even when the laptop is closed or the phone is off. The 'human in the loop' also goes mobile, as the agent asks for user approval via smartphone when decisions require human input. Nothing is sent without user review and approval, according to Anthropic.
More than 90 percent of Cowork usage isn't software work, as noted by Anthropic. This aligns with its positioning as an agentic tool for general knowledge work, not coding. The two largest categories of use are business operations and content creation, such as reconciling quarterly spend, drafting variance memos, or building client decks from call transcripts. These categories make up roughly half of all usage, according to Anthropic.
The desktop app remains essential for features requiring local file access, as stated by Anthropic. This includes reading and writing files in connected folders, local connectors and plugins, browser control through Claude in Chrome, and Computer Use, where Claude interacts directly with the screen. Users who couldn't install the desktop app before can now try Cowork through a web browser, though without local capabilities. On web and desktop, Chat and Cowork will share a single home screen, with projects and artifacts available across platforms. Anthropic is also extending its doubled Cowork usage limits through August 5.
Source: thedecoder
