Claude Cowork Expands to Mobile and Web with Always-On Background Execution
Key Takeaways
- ▸Claude Cowork now available on mobile (iOS/Android), web (claude.ai), and desktop with sessions and files synced across all platforms
- ▸Background task execution enables work to continue running even when devices are offline—users can schedule tasks to run at specific times
- ▸Decision points are routed to users' phones via notifications, allowing mid-task corrections and approvals from anywhere
Summary
Anthropic announced that Claude Cowork, its AI agent platform, is expanding from desktop to mobile and web browsers. The expansion enables users to start tasks on one device and continue them on another, with sessions and files synced across all platforms. Most significantly, tasks can now run in the background without requiring an active device connection—users can schedule work for specific times and receive notifications on their phone when Claude needs a decision.
According to Anthropic's analysis, over 90% of Claude Cowork usage is for knowledge work rather than software development, with the largest categories being business operations and content creation. Users are delegating tasks like quarterly reconciliation reports, contract analysis, and client deck preparation. The expansion makes Cowork accessible to users who don't have the desktop app installed, while maintaining desktop as the premium experience for deep work with local file access and browser integration.
Beta access is rolling out over the next several weeks, starting with Claude Max subscribers. To encourage adoption, Anthropic is doubling Cowork usage limits through August 5, 2026.
- Over 90% of current Cowork usage is knowledge work (business operations, content creation) rather than coding—representing the 'work around the work'
- Beta rolling out to Claude Max users first, with doubled usage limits through August 5 to encourage experimentation with larger tasks
