- Claude combines Cowork, Dispatch and Remote Control to run tasks on your computer from your mobile while keeping the work on your local machine.
- To use these features you need a desktop and mobile app, a paid plan, and to properly configure permissions, power, and authentication in claude.ai.
- Security depends on limiting access, blocking sensitive apps, and always having the user validate sensitive actions.
- It is especially useful for automating file management, software development, and data analysis without being physically in front of the PC.
If you've ever thought, "I wish I could tell my computer what to do from my phone ," Claude is practically there now. It's not a classic remote desktop like TeamViewer , but something more powerful: giving commands in natural language to an AI that works on your PC while you use your phone.
With features like Claude Cowork, Dispatch, and Remote Control , Anthropic is building an ecosystem where your computer becomes an "operator" and your mobile phone a smart remote control . However, the power these tools offer comes with a catch: permissions, security, and a good dose of common sense to avoid messing up your files or sensitive data.
What exactly is Claude Cowork and how does it relate to Dispatch?
To fully understand how to control your computer from your mobile device with Claude , we first need to talk about Cowork. Claude Cowork is an advanced assistant that lives on your computer (through the Claude desktop app or the Chrome extension) and is designed to automate local tasks : managing files, checking folders, opening documents, using the browser or certain applications, and handling repetitive chores that would normally take up a lot of your time.
Unlike a simple chatbot, Cowork behaves like an AI agent with access to the operating system . It can work on a specific folder, your entire file system, or even the browser using "computer use" when a specific connector isn't available. This allows it, for example, to read local PDFs, prepare summaries, reorganize directories, or support developers on code projects that exist only on the hard drive, without uploading anything to the cloud.
Based on this foundation, Claude Dispatch emerges, which we could describe as the remote layer or "remote control" of Cowork . Cowork is designed for the computer, but Dispatch opens the door to controlling it from the Claude mobile app. This way, you can be away from your PC, take out your phone, send a command, and let Claude execute the task on your desktop machine.
The idea is that the conversation between the mobile app and the desktop app is continuous: you don't start from scratch each time , but rather maintain a live thread where the AI remembers the context of what it's doing on your computer. This means that any access or permission Cowork already has on your PC becomes, in effect, remotely accessible from your mobile device, which is very convenient… and also risky if you haven't properly configured the boundaries.
What is Claude Dispatch and what does it allow you to do remotely?
Claude Dispatch is the feature that transforms the Claude mobile app into a command center for your desktop . It's not just a simple "synced chat"; it's the official way to send tasks to Cowork oa Code to run on your computer while you simply type or dictate instructions from your phone.
When you activate Dispatch in your desktop app, your Claude account is ready to receive orders from your mobile device and dispatch them to the appropriate session on your computer: office tasks, file automations, small programming jobs, document summaries, etc. The AI itself decides whether a task is a better fit for Code (a code-oriented environment) or Cowork (a more general and productivity-focused environment).
In everyday use, this means you can ask for things like: “review this folder of invoices, extract the amounts, and create a table for me” or “open the marketing code project, analyze the logs, and tell me why the script is failing.” Claude will execute these commands on your Mac or in your local environment, without you having to touch the physical keyboard.
The convenience is obvious: you start something at your desk, leave home, and while on public transport you can send new tasks, check progress, or correct minor errors using only your mobile phone. But every permission granted to Cowork or Code is a permission that, indirectly, you're opening up to that remote interaction. That's why Dispatch requires you to be very clear about what Claude can and can't access.
Claude Remote Control: total control of your coding session from your mobile device
In addition to Cowork and Dispatch, Anthropic has another key tool for working from your phone: Remote Control for Claude Code . The idea here is somewhat different: not so much sending individual tasks, but rather converting your local coding session into one accessible from any device, while keeping the process running on your machine.
Remote Control connects a local Claude Code session running on your computer to claude.ai/code or the Claude app for iOS and Android . You launch the process in your terminal or in VS Code, and that session remains active on your machine. Then, from your mobile device or another computer , you access that same session via a URL or QR code, as if you were opening a window to your local development environment.
The important thing is that everything still happens on your PC : your file system, MCP servers, tools, project settings, and local paths remain on the machine, while the mobile device or browser is merely an interface. No incoming ports are opened on your computer; communication is done through outgoing HTTPS requests to the Anthropic API, which acts as a bridge.
This allows you to start a Claude Code session at home, take your phone out, and continue communicating with the same AI that has access to your local repositories . You can ask it to refactor, review logs, prepare a bug report, or generate controlled changes to your code without needing to carry your laptop around—especially useful for after-hours emergencies.
Requirements for using Dispatch, Cowork and Remote Control
Before you start controlling your computer from your mobile phone with Claude, you need to make sure you meet a series of technical and subscription requirements . It's not as simple as pressing a button; there are some minimum requirements that, if not met, simply won't work.
For the desktop version, you need the Claude Desktop application installed on a compatible Mac and updated to the latest version. For Claude Code with Remote Control, the corresponding command-line client must be installed, and if you use it, the VS Code extension in a version equal to or higher than the one Anthropic specifies (for example, v2.1.79 for certain remote functions).
On your mobile device, you must have the official Claude app for iOS or Android , also updated. If you don't have it yet, you can use the /mobile command from Claude Code to display a QR code that takes you to the app download page for your platform.
Regarding the account, these features are tied to the paid plans: Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise . API keys or console accounts are not valid for Remote Control, and in Team/Enterprise environments, an administrator may need to first enable a specific switch in the Claude Code administration settings to allow the use of these features.
It's also essential that the computer is turned on and connected to the internet, without going into sleep mode, while the Claude app or the Code process is running. If the computer goes to sleep, the session will be interrupted or it will constantly reconnect. Therefore, part of the setup involves adjusting the system's power settings so that the machine remains active while you're working with Cowork, Dispatch, or Remote Control.
How to activate Claude Dispatch step by step without messing things up
Activating Dispatch on the desktop is relatively simple, but it's best to do it carefully to avoid granting unnecessary privileges the first time. The process in Claude's desktop app usually follows a fairly straightforward sequence.
First, open Claude Desktop on your computer (or the corresponding desktop version) and access the side panel. From there, go to the Cowork section . Within Cowork, you'll see the "Dispatch" option in the left column; this is the gateway to the remote function.
When you access Dispatch, the interface will show you a description of what you can do with the feature enabled, and a "Get Started" button to begin the setup. Clicking it will launch the wizard that connects your computer to your mobile device and requests the initial basic permissions.
The next step is to link your mobile device : Claude will usually prompt you to download the iOS or Android app if you don't already have it, and will display a QR code or pairing link to connect your account between your desktop and phone. Once the same account is recognized on both devices, the channel is ready for remote tasks.
Finally, the wizard will ask you to grant Cowork the permissions it needs to work remotely: access to the file system, browser extension if applicable, and permission to prevent the computer from going to sleep while the app is in use. Once you're finished and tap something like "Finish Setup," you'll be able to access the "Dispatch" section from your mobile device and start sending jobs to your computer.
Configure permissions properly: safety before haste
Although Claude Cowork and Dispatch are designed to request permission at every important step, you shouldn't let your guard down. You're giving an AI the ability to open, move, and modify files, and even interact with your browser and desktop applications in some cases. Properly configured, it's fantastic; with neglected security, it's a recipe for disaster.
The most sensible approach is to start with minimal permissions . If you only want Claude to work in a specific project folder, there's little point in giving him access to the entire disk. Define clear areas of work and don't open up areas of the system he doesn't need for the tasks you're assigning him.
Furthermore, it's worth setting up a list of blocked sensitive applications from the start . You don't want the AI, no matter how clever, to be able to access your online banking, healthcare portal, investment tools, or any program that handles particularly sensitive data. That type of software should be completely off-limits to AI.
Another important detail is that, to understand what he sees on the screen, Claude can resort to desktop screenshots . This means that any visible window could end up in the work context: chats, confidential documents, photos, etc. Even if a specific application is locked, a seemingly innocent action can open a link in the browser and expose information you hadn't intended.
Whenever possible, it's advisable to use "Ask before acting" modes rather than more aggressive options like "Act without asking," especially when it comes to website automation and online actions. This keeps a "human in the loop" who has the opportunity to review what Claude intends to do before executing it on your behalf.
How to use Claude Dispatch from your mobile phone
Once everything is set up on your computer and the necessary permissions are granted, using Dispatch from your mobile device is quite straightforward. The goal is for you to be able to send clear instructions from your phone and have the AI execute them on your PC without you having to worry about the technical aspects.
To begin, open the Claude app on your Android or iPhone . Tap the menu icon (usually the three horizontal lines in the top left) and go to the "Dispatch" section . This section is the control panel from which you will dictate what you want Claude to do on your computer.
Within Dispatch, you simply type the task you want . The more specific and focused, the better. For example, instead of saying "organize my things," something like "review the 'Invoices 2024' folder, read all the PDFs, and create a summary with the total amount per supplier in a new document" is more useful.
In these kinds of interactions, it helps a lot to specify the files involved, the approximate path, and the expected result . Requests like "compare these two files and return a table with the differences" or "prepare a draft report from the documents in folder X" usually work much better than overly generic requests.
When the task is complete, Claude can send the results directly to your mobile device, either as text or by showing you where the generated files have been saved on your computer . Additionally, if you have push notifications enabled, you'll receive alerts when a lengthy task is finished or when your approval is needed to proceed with a specific action.
Practical uses: from the office to development and data management
Beyond the theory, the most interesting aspect of controlling your computer from your mobile device with Claude lies in its real-world use cases . The combination of Coworking, Dispatch, and Remote Control opens up a wide range of possibilities in very different work environments.
In the realm of office tasks and organization , you can leave Claude to handle some of the heavy lifting while you move around. From your mobile device, you can ask him to review spreadsheets, gather scattered data, generate briefings, create comparative tables between documents, or prepare presentations using information already stored on your computer or in connected services like Google Workspace.
When we're talking about massive amounts of local data , the value skyrockets. Manipulating huge files, like a CSV with hundreds of thousands of rows, from a mobile device would be a nightmare. But with an AI agent running on your computer, all you have to do is assign it tasks in natural language: extract the five lowest-selling categories, modify a specific attribute of a particular identifier, or generate a consolidated report. All the processing happens on your machine, and you simply receive the distilled result.
For developers and technical professionals, Remote Control and Cowork transform your mobile device into a kind of emergency panel . If a server goes down on a Sunday, you can instruct Claude to review the logs in a specific location, identify a syntax error in a Python or Node.js file, and apply a small patch. The model can read documentation stored in private folders, analyze local repositories that aren't in the cloud, and generate diagnostic reports while you go about your day.
It's also incredibly useful for managing document overload . If you have a folder where dozens of PDFs are downloaded daily (invoices, reports, contracts), you can request from your mobile device that it read them all, extract key figures, filter by supplier, group by date, and create a summary in a new document on your desktop. What used to be an endless process of opening and copying by hand becomes a quick conversation with your desktop assistant.
Remote Control in detail: starting, connecting and maintaining sessions
In the case of Claude Code, Remote Control adds a very specific layer for those who work extensively with the terminal and local repositories. The idea is that your local code session can be controlled from anywhere without moving the environment to the cloud.
From the command line, you can start a Remote Control session in several ways. A common option is to launch an interactive session with the `--remote-control` or `--rc` flag , for example, by running a command like `claude -rc "Session Name"` . This opens a normal session in your terminal, which is also available for remote control via web or mobile.
If you were already in a Claude Code session and decide to continue it remotely, simply use the command /remote-control or /rc . This command turns the current conversation into a session accessible from outside, displaying a specific URL and, in many cases, a QR code so you can connect your mobile device in seconds.
In the VS Code extension, the mechanism is similar: you can type /remote-control or /rc in the request box or open Claude's command menu and select that option. A banner will appear with the connection status and a button to open the session directly in the browser. All chat history and context are preserved.
Once the session is active, you have several ways to connect from another device: open the URL directly at claude.ai/code , scan the QR code with the Claude app, or search for the session by name in the session list (it usually appears with a computer icon and a green dot when online). While the session is active, you can switch between typing from the terminal, the browser, and your mobile device without losing synchronization.
Remote Control Security, Connectivity, and Technical Limitations
One of Remote Control's strengths is its design for minimizing the attack surface . The local Claude Code process only makes outgoing HTTPS requests to the Anthropic API; it doesn't open any incoming ports on your machine. When you start Remote Control, it establishes a session with the API, and your machine then checks for pending tasks.
When you connect from another device, the Anthropic server simply routes messages between the web or mobile client and your local session using a streaming connection. All traffic travels over TLS, the same level of security as any other standard interaction with Claude Code.
Even so, there are operational limitations you need to be aware of. Each interactive Claude Code process only supports one remote session at a time ; if you want multiple concurrent sessions, you'll have to use server mode with specific commands like `claude remote-control` and parameters like `--capacity` to adjust the maximum number of connections.
Furthermore, the local process must continue running on your computer . If you close the terminal, shut down the machine, or stop the process for any reason, the session will end. If the laptop goes to sleep or loses its network connection for more than a few minutes, the session may time out and close, forcing you to run the command again to create a new one.
Finally, Remote Control is closely tied to how you authenticate. You need a full login via claude.ai ; limited tokens, API keys, or third-party providers like Bedrock or Vertex won't work for this feature. If something goes wrong (eligibility messages, credential errors, or organizational policies blocking the feature), the usual solutions are to check environment variables, repeat the /login process , and ensure that the administrator has enabled the appropriate permissions.
Together, the Cowork, Dispatch, and Remote Control components transform your computer into a local agent at the service of your mobile device : you decide which tasks to delegate, which folders it can access, how you want it to behave on the web, and what level of autonomy to grant it. If you configure permissions correctly, keep the device active, and get used to giving precise instructions, you can go from being dependent on your desktop to managing your digital work from anywhere with just a few well-thought-out phrases.
