Claude can control your computer for browsing, editing, more: Here's how it works

AI tools have mostly stayed inside chat windows so far, and max to max to your phone as an AI assistant to ask something and they simply respond. But that’s starting to change. Claude is now moving a step ahead, where it can actually use your computer to get tasks done. Also Read: After crashing IT stocks, Anthropic launches Claude plug-ins to automate HR and banking work

Think of it less like a chatbot and more like someone sitting at your desk, opening apps, clicking through menus, and finishing work for you. Also Read: What happened between OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs on AI Impact Summit stage?

What can Claude actually do? With this new feature, Claude can open apps on your system, browse websites, use tools like spreadsheets or dev environments,  click, scroll, and type using your mouse and keyboard. The idea is simple: if there’s no direct integration available, Claude doesn’t stop. It just uses your system like you would. So instead of asking it how to do something, you can ask it to just do it. Also Read: Anthropic rolls out Claude Sonnet 4.6 for Free and Pro users: What’s new in the latest AI model

Claude to control computer: How it works 

Claude still starts with the smarter route. If it has access to connected apps like Slack or Calendar, it uses those first. But when that’s not enough, it can request permission to take control of your screen and perform actions step by step. 

The good part is that it doesn’t act blindly, instead, every major step will need your approval, and you can stop it anytime. In simple terms, you’re still in control as Claude just does the heavy lifting. 

But what about the automated work? This is where things get more interesting. With a feature called Dispatch, you can assign a task to Claude from your phone and let it work on your computer remotely. So you could start a task while commuting, let Claude work in the background, and come back to a finished result on your system. So basically, it will change how “AI is helping you” to “AI is working for you.”

Isn’t it is scary?

It surely is! The idea of AI working for you and even making the tasks automated on your computer seems futuristic tech coming true as well as scary with a lot of questions. What if… AI takes over the personal information too? What if it allows some illegal or unauthenticated actions without our knowleged.

But the releief for now is that the feature is still in a research preview phase, and it’s limited to paid users. To be accessible to a wider user base, there is still time. And hope that the Claude will turn out to be beneficial.

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There are some limitations, or we should say, safeguards such as ability to stop tasks anytime and restrictions on sensitive apps. However, it’s still early. Claude can make mistakes, and it’s not recommended to use it with sensitive data yet.