Dispatch

Overview

Dispatch lets you trigger Cowork tasks from your phone, with the work running on your actual desktop. You send Claude a message wherever you are, it does the job on your computer using everything you've already set up there (local files, connectors, plugins, projects), and you get a push notification when it's done.

Dispatch is currently in beta on Pro and Max plans, so depending on your plan you may not have access to it yet. Even if you don't, it's worth understanding what it does, because it changes how Cowork fits into your day once it's available.

What It's For

Imagine you're out getting coffee and you think of something you need done. With Dispatch, you pull out your phone and tell Claude to pull data from a spreadsheet on your desktop, cross-reference it with your emails, and put together a summary. By the time you sit down at your desk, the finished file is already waiting for you.

The phone is just the trigger and the check-in point. The actual work still happens on your computer, with everything Cowork can normally reach. That's why Dispatch matters: it doesn't try to give you a mobile version of Cowork, it lets you hand work off from anywhere while keeping the engine where it already lives.

One Conversation Across Two Devices

Dispatch isn't a separate chat. It's the same Cowork conversation, synced between your desktop and your phone. Message Claude from your phone in the morning, follow up from your desktop in the afternoon, and you're working with the same thread the whole time, with no need to repeat context when you switch devices.

Setting It Up

You'll need the latest version of both the Claude Desktop app and the Claude mobile app, and a Pro or Max plan. Open Cowork on your desktop, click Dispatch in the sidebar, and follow the setup steps.

During setup, toggle on the option to keep your computer awake when the lid is closed. Without it, tasks triggered from your phone will queue up until you come back and open the laptop.

A Note on Access

Dispatch gives a mobile agent the ability to control what happens on your desktop. Claude can read, move, and delete local files, interact with connected services, and use the apps on your computer. That's powerful, and worth approaching with care. Before turning it on, get clear on what Claude has access to, not just what you intend to use it for. You can review and adjust permissions at any point.

Key Takeaways