Home › Sources › Use Claude Code Desktop

Use Claude Code Desktop

Tags

official-docs claude-code-cli

Content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Use Claude Code Desktop

Get more out of Claude Code Desktop: parallel sessions with Git isolation, drag-and-drop pane layout, integrated terminal and file editor, side chats, computer use, Dispatch sessions from your phone, visual diff review, app previews, PR monitoring, connectors, and enterprise configuration.

The Code tab within the Claude Desktop app lets you use Claude Code through a graphical interface instead of the terminal.

Universal build for Intel and Apple Silicon

For x64 processors

For Windows ARM64, download the ARM64 installer. Linux is not supported.

After installing, launch Claude, sign in, and click the Code tab. See the Get started guide for a full walkthrough of your first session.

Desktop adds these capabilities on top of the standard Claude Code experience:

The workspace layout, terminal, file editor, side chats, and view modes described on this page require Claude Desktop v1.2581.0 or later. Open Claude → Check for Updates on macOS or Help → Check for Updates on Windows to update.

This page covers working with code, arranging your workspace, computer use, managing sessions, extending Claude Code, and configuration. It also includes a CLI comparison and troubleshooting.

Start a session

Before you send your first message, configure four things in the prompt area:

Type your task and press Enter to start. Each session tracks its own context and changes independently.

Work with code

Give Claude the right context, control how much it does on its own, and review what it changed.

Use the prompt box

Type what you want Claude to do and press Enter to send. Claude reads your project files, makes changes, and runs commands based on your permission mode. You can interrupt Claude at any point: click the stop button or type your correction and press Enter. Claude stops what it's doing and adjusts based on your input.

The + button next to the prompt box gives you access to file attachments, skills, connectors, and plugins.

Add files and context to prompts

The prompt box supports two ways to bring in external context:

Choose a permission mode

Permission modes control how much autonomy Claude has during a session: whether it asks before editing files, running commands, or both. You can switch modes at any time using the mode selector next to the send button. Start with Ask permissions to see exactly what Claude does, then move to Auto accept edits or Plan mode as you get comfortable.

Mode Settings key Behavior
Ask permissions default Claude asks before editing files or running commands. You see a diff and can accept or reject each change. Recommended for new users.
Auto accept edits acceptEdits Claude auto-accepts file edits and common filesystem commands like mkdir, touch, and mv, but still asks before running other terminal commands. Use this when you trust file changes and want faster iteration.
Plan mode plan Claude reads files and runs commands to explore, then proposes a plan without editing your source code. Good for complex tasks where you want to review the approach first.
Auto auto Claude executes all actions with background safety checks that verify alignment with your request. Reduces permission prompts while maintaining oversight. Currently a research preview. Available on Max, Team, Enterprise, and API plans. Requires Claude Sonnet 4.6, Opus 4.6, or Opus 4.7 on Team, Enterprise, and API plans; Claude Opus 4.7 only on Max plans. Not available on Pro plans or third-party providers. Enable in your Settings → Claude Code.
Bypass permissions bypassPermissions Claude runs without any permission prompts, equivalent to --dangerously-skip-permissions in the CLI. Enable in your Settings → Claude Code under "Allow bypass permissions mode". Only use this in sandboxed containers or VMs. Enterprise admins can disable this option.

The dontAsk permission mode is available only in the CLI.

Start complex tasks in Plan mode so Claude maps out an approach before making changes. Once you approve the plan, switch to Auto accept edits or Ask permissions to execute it. See explore first, then plan, then code for more on this workflow.

Remote sessions support Auto accept edits and Plan mode. Ask permissions is not available because remote sessions auto-accept file edits by default, and Bypass permissions is not available because the remote environment is already sandboxed.

Enterprise admins can restrict which permission modes are available. See enterprise configuration for details.

Preview your app

Claude can start a dev server and open an embedded browser to verify its changes. This works for frontend web apps as well as backend servers: Claude can test API endpoints, view server logs, and iterate on issues it finds. In most cases, Claude starts the server automatically after editing project files. You can also ask Claude to preview at any time. By default, Claude auto-verifies changes after every edit.

The preview pane can also open static HTML files, PDFs, and images from your project. Click an HTML, PDF, or image path in the chat to open it in preview.

From the preview pane, you can:

Claude creates the initial server configuration based on your project. If your app uses a custom dev command, edit .claude/launch.json to match your setup. See Configure preview servers for the full reference.

To clear saved session data, toggle Persist preview sessions off in Settings → Claude Code. To disable preview entirely, toggle off Preview in Settings → Claude Code.

Review changes with diff view

After Claude makes changes to your code, the diff view lets you review modifications file by file before creating a pull request.

When Claude changes files, a diff stats indicator appears showing the number of lines added and removed, such as +12 -1. Click this indicator to open the diff viewer, which displays a file list on the left and the changes for each file on the right.

To comment on specific lines, click any line in the diff to open a comment box. Type your feedback and press Enter to add the comment. After adding comments to multiple lines, submit all comments at once:

Claude reads your comments and makes the requested changes, which appear as a new diff you can review.

Review your code

In the diff view, click Review code in the top-right toolbar to ask Claude to evaluate the changes before you commit. Claude examines the current diffs and leaves comments directly in the diff view. You can respond to any comment or ask Claude to revise.

The review focuses on high-signal issues: compile errors, definite logic errors, security vulnerabilities, and obvious bugs. It does not flag style, formatting, pre-existing issues, or anything a linter would catch.

Monitor pull request status

After you open a pull request, a CI status bar appears in the session. Claude Code uses the GitHub CLI to poll check results and surface failures.

Use the Auto-fix and Auto-merge toggles in the CI status bar to enable either option. Claude Code also sends a desktop notification when CI finishes. To archive the session automatically once the PR merges or closes, turn on auto-archive in Settings → Claude Code.

PR monitoring requires the GitHub CLI (gh) to be installed and authenticated on your machine. If gh is not installed, Desktop prompts you to install it the first time you try to create a PR.

Arrange your workspace

The desktop app is built around panes you can arrange in any layout: chat, diff, preview, terminal, file, plan, tasks, and subagent. Drag a pane by its header to reposition it, or drag a pane edge to resize it. Press Cmd+\ on macOS or Ctrl+\ on Windows to close the focused pane. Open additional panes from the Views menu in the session toolbar.

Run commands in the terminal

The integrated terminal lets you run commands alongside your session without switching to another app. Open it from the Views menu or press Ctrl+` on macOS or Windows. The terminal opens in your session's working directory and shares the same environment as Claude, so commands like npm test or git status see the same files Claude is editing. The terminal is available in local sessions only.

Open and edit files

Click a file path in the chat or diff viewer to open it in the file pane. HTML, PDF, and image paths open in the preview pane instead. Make spot edits and click Save to write them back. If the file changed on disk since you opened it, the pane warns you and lets you override or discard. Click Discard to revert your edits, or click the path in the pane header to copy the absolute path.

The file pane is available in local and SSH sessions. For remote sessions, ask Claude to make the change.

Open files in other apps

Right-click any file path in the chat, diff viewer, or file pane to open a context menu:

Switch view modes

View modes control how much detail appears in the chat transcript. Switch modes from the Transcript view dropdown next to the send button, or press Ctrl+O on macOS or Windows to cycle through them.

Mode What it shows
Normal Tool calls collapsed into summaries, with full text responses
Verbose Every tool call, file read, and intermediate step Claude takes
Summary Only Claude's final responses and the changes it made

Use Verbose when debugging why Claude took a particular action. Use Summary when you're running multiple sessions and want to scan results quickly.

Keyboard shortcuts

Press Cmd+/ on macOS or Ctrl+/ on Windows to see all shortcuts available in the Code tab. On Windows, use Ctrl in place of Cmd for the shortcuts below. Session cycling, the terminal toggle, and the view-mode toggle use Ctrl on every platform.

Shortcut Action
Cmd / Show keyboard shortcuts
Cmd N New session
Cmd W Close session
Ctrl Tab / Ctrl Shift Tab Next or previous session
Cmd Shift ] / Cmd Shift [ Next or previous session
Esc Stop Claude's response
Cmd Shift D Toggle diff pane
Cmd Shift P Toggle preview pane
Cmd Shift S Select an element in preview
Ctrl ` Toggle terminal pane
Cmd \ Close focused pane
Cmd ; Open side chat
Ctrl O Cycle view modes
Cmd Shift M Open permission mode menu
Cmd Shift I Open model menu
Cmd Shift E Open effort menu
1–9 Select item in an open menu

These shortcuts apply only to the Code tab. The terminal-based interactive mode shortcuts, such as Shift+Tab to cycle modes, do not apply in Desktop.

Check usage

Click the usage ring next to the model picker to see your current context window usage and your plan usage for the period. Context usage is per session; plan usage is shared across all your Claude Code surfaces.

Let Claude use your computer

Computer use lets Claude open your apps, control your screen, and work directly on your machine the way you would. Ask Claude to test a native app in a mobile simulator, interact with a desktop tool that has no CLI, or automate something that only works through a GUI.

Computer use is a research preview on macOS and Windows that requires a Pro or Max plan. It is not available on Team or Enterprise plans. The Claude Desktop app must be running.

Computer use is off by default. Enable it in Settings before Claude can control your screen. On macOS, you also need to grant Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions.

Unlike the sandboxed Bash tool, computer use runs on your actual desktop with access to whatever you approve. Claude checks each action and flags potential prompt injection from on-screen content, but the trust boundary is different. See the computer use safety guide for best practices.

When computer use applies

Claude has several ways to interact with an app or service, and computer use is the broadest and slowest. It tries the most precise tool first:

The per-app access tiers reinforce this: browsers are capped at view-only, and terminals and IDEs at click-only, steering Claude toward the dedicated tool even when computer use is active. Screen control is reserved for things nothing else can reach, like native apps, hardware control panels, mobile simulators, or proprietary tools without an API.

Enable computer use

Computer use is off by default. If you ask Claude to do something that needs it while it's off, Claude tells you it could do the task if you enable computer use in Settings.

Make sure you have the latest version of Claude Desktop. Download or update at claude.com/download, then restart the app.

In the desktop app, go to Settings > General (under Desktop app). Find the Computer use toggle and turn it on. On Windows, the toggle takes effect immediately and setup is complete. On macOS, continue to the next step.

If you don't see the toggle, confirm you're on macOS or Windows with a Pro or Max plan, then update and restart the app.

On macOS, grant two system permissions before the toggle takes effect:

* **Accessibility**: lets Claude click, type, and scroll
* **Screen Recording**: lets Claude see what's on your screen

The Settings page shows the current status of each permission. If either is denied, click the badge to open the relevant System Settings pane.

App permissions

The first time Claude needs to use an app, a prompt appears in your session. Click Allow for this session or Deny. Approvals last for the current session, or 30 minutes in Dispatch-spawned sessions.

The prompt also shows what level of control Claude gets for that app. These tiers are fixed by app category and can't be changed:

Tier What Claude can do Applies to
View only See the app in screenshots Browsers, trading platforms
Click only Click and scroll, but not type or use keyboard shortcuts Terminals, IDEs
Full control Click, type, drag, and use keyboard shortcuts Everything else

Apps with broad reach, like terminals, Finder or File Explorer, and System Settings or Settings, show an extra warning in the prompt so you know what approving them grants.

You can configure two settings in Settings > General (under Desktop app):

Manage sessions

Each session is an independent conversation with its own context and changes. You can run multiple sessions in parallel, branch off side chats, send work to the cloud, or let Dispatch start sessions for you from your phone.

Work in parallel with sessions

Click + New session in the sidebar, or press Cmd+N on macOS or Ctrl+N on Windows, to work on multiple tasks in parallel. Press Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab to cycle through sessions in the sidebar. For Git repositories, each session gets its own isolated copy of your project using Git worktrees, so changes in one session don't affect other sessions until you commit them.

Worktrees are stored in <project-root>/.claude/worktrees/ by default. You can change this to a custom directory in Settings → Claude Code under "Worktree location". You can also set a branch prefix that gets prepended to every worktree branch name, which is useful for keeping Claude-created branches organized. To remove a worktree when you're done, hover over the session in the sidebar and click the archive icon. To have sessions archive themselves when their pull request merges or closes, turn on Auto-archive after PR merge or close in Settings → Claude Code. Auto-archive only applies to local sessions that have finished running.

To include gitignored files like .env in new worktrees, create a .worktreeinclude file in your project root.

Session isolation requires Git. Most Macs include Git by default. Run git --version in Terminal to check. On Windows, Git is required for the Code tab to work: download Git for Windows, install it, and restart the app. If you run into Git errors, try a Cowork session to help troubleshoot your setup.

Use the controls at the top of the sidebar to filter sessions by status, project, or environment, and to group sessions by project. To rename a session, click the session title in the toolbar at the top of the active session. To check context usage, see Check usage. When context fills up, Claude automatically summarizes the conversation and continues working. You can also type /compact to trigger summarization earlier and free up context space. See the context window for details on how compaction works.

Ask a side question without derailing the session

A side chat lets you ask Claude a question that uses your session's context but doesn't add anything back to the main conversation. Use it when you want to understand a piece of code, check an assumption, or explore an idea without steering the session off course.

Press Cmd+; on macOS or Ctrl+; on Windows to open a side chat, or type /btw in the prompt box. The side chat can read everything in the main thread up to that point. When you're done, close the side chat and continue the main session where you left off. Side chats are available in local and SSH sessions.

Watch background tasks

The tasks pane shows the background work running inside the current session: subagents, background shell commands, and workflows. Open it from the Views menu or drag it into your layout.

Click any entry to see its output in the subagent pane or stop it. To see what other sessions are doing, use the sidebar.

Run long-running tasks remotely

For large refactors, test suites, migrations, or other long-running tasks, select Remote instead of Local when starting a session. Remote sessions run on Anthropic's cloud infrastructure and continue even if you close the app or shut down your computer. Check back anytime to see progress or steer Claude in a different direction. You can also monitor remote sessions from claude.ai/code or the Claude iOS app.

Remote sessions also support multiple repositories. After selecting a cloud environment, click the + button next to the repo pill to add additional repositories to the session. Each repo gets its own branch selector. This is useful for tasks that span multiple codebases, such as updating a shared library and its consumers.

See Claude Code on the web for more on how remote sessions work.

Continue in another surface

The Continue in menu, accessible from the VS Code icon in the bottom right of the session toolbar, lets you move your session to another surface:

Sessions from Dispatch

Dispatch is a persistent conversation with Claude that lives in the Cowork tab. You message Dispatch a task, and it decides how to handle it.

A task can end up as a Code session in two ways: you ask for one directly, such as "open a Claude Code session and fix the login bug", or Dispatch decides the task is development work and spawns one on its own. Tasks that typically route to Code include fixing bugs, updating dependencies, running tests, or opening pull requests. Research, document editing, and spreadsheet work stay in Cowork.

Either way, the Code session appears in the Code tab's sidebar with a Dispatch badge. You get a push notification on your phone when it finishes or needs your approval.

If you have computer use enabled, Dispatch-spawned Code sessions can use it too. App approvals in those sessions expire after 30 minutes and re-prompt, rather than lasting the full session like regular Code sessions.

For setup, pairing, and Dispatch settings, see the Dispatch help article. Dispatch requires a Pro or Max plan and is not available on Team or Enterprise plans.

Dispatch is one of several ways to work with Claude when you're away from your terminal. See Platforms and integrations to compare it with Remote Control, Channels, Slack, and scheduled tasks.

Extend Claude Code

Connect external services, add reusable workflows, customize Claude's behavior, and configure preview servers.

Connect external tools

For local and SSH sessions, click the + button next to the prompt box and select Connectors to add integrations like Google Calendar, Slack, GitHub, Linear, Notion, and more. You can add connectors before or during a session. The + button is not available in remote sessions, but routines configure connectors at routine creation time.

To manage or disconnect connectors, go to Settings → Connectors in the desktop app, or select Manage connectors from the Connectors menu in the prompt box.

Once connected, Claude can read your calendar, send messages, create issues, and interact with your tools directly. You can ask Claude what connectors are configured in your session.

Connectors are MCP servers with a graphical setup flow. Use them for quick integration with supported services. For integrations not listed in Connectors, add MCP servers manually via settings files. You can also create custom connectors.

Use skills

Skills extend what Claude can do. Claude loads them automatically when relevant, or you can invoke one directly: type / in the prompt box or click the + button and select Slash commands to browse what's available. This includes built-in commands, your custom skills, project skills from your codebase, and skills from any installed plugins. Select one and it appears highlighted in the input field. Type your task after it and send as usual.

Install plugins

Plugins are reusable packages that add skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers, and LSP configurations to Claude Code. You can install plugins from the desktop app without using the terminal.

For local and SSH sessions, click the + button next to the prompt box and select Plugins to see your installed plugins and their skills. To add a plugin, select Add plugin from the submenu to open the plugin browser, which shows available plugins from your configured marketplaces including the official Anthropic marketplace. Select Manage plugins to enable, disable, or uninstall plugins.

Plugins can be scoped to your user account, a specific project, or local-only. If your organization manages plugins centrally, those plugins are available in desktop sessions the same way they are in the CLI. Plugins are not available for remote sessions. For the full plugin reference including creating your own plugins, see plugins.

Configure preview servers

Claude automatically detects your dev server setup and stores the configuration in .claude/launch.json at the root of the folder you selected when starting the session. Preview uses this folder as its working directory, so if you selected a parent folder, subfolders with their own dev servers won't be detected automatically. To work with a subfolder's server, either start a session in that folder directly or add a configuration manually.

To customize how your server starts, for example to use yarn dev instead of npm run dev or to change the port, edit the file manually or click Edit configuration in the Preview dropdown to open it in your code editor. The file supports JSON with comments.

```json theme={null} { "version": "0.0.1", "configurations": [ { "name": "my-app", "runtimeExecutable": "npm", "runtimeArgs": ["run", "dev"], "port": 3000 } ] }


You can define multiple configurations to run different servers from the same project, such as a frontend and an API. See the [examples](#examples) below.

#### Auto-verify changes

When `autoVerify` is enabled, Claude automatically verifies code changes after editing files. It takes screenshots, checks for errors, and confirms changes work before completing its response.

Auto-verify is on by default. Disable it per-project by adding `"autoVerify": false` to `.claude/launch.json`, or toggle it from the **Preview** dropdown menu.

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "autoVerify": false,
  "configurations": [...]
}

When disabled, preview tools are still available and you can ask Claude to verify at any time. Auto-verify makes it automatic after every edit.

Configuration fields

Each entry in the configurations array accepts the following fields:

Field Type Description
name string A unique identifier for this server
runtimeExecutable string The command to run, such as npm, yarn, or node
runtimeArgs string[] Arguments passed to runtimeExecutable, such as ["run", "dev"]
port number The port your server listens on. Defaults to 3000
cwd string Working directory relative to your project root. Defaults to the project root. Use ${workspaceFolder} to reference the project root explicitly
env object Additional environment variables as key-value pairs, such as { "NODE_ENV": "development" }. Don't put secrets here since this file is committed to your repo. To pass secrets to your dev server, set them in the local environment editor instead.
autoPort boolean How to handle port conflicts. See below
program string A script to run with node. See when to use program vs runtimeExecutable
args string[] Arguments passed to program. Only used when program is set
When to use program vs runtimeExecutable

Use runtimeExecutable with runtimeArgs to start a dev server through a package manager. For example, "runtimeExecutable": "npm" with "runtimeArgs": ["run", "dev"] runs npm run dev.

Use program when you have a standalone script you want to run with node directly. For example, "program": "server.js" runs node server.js. Pass additional flags with args.

Port conflicts

The autoPort field controls what happens when your preferred port is already in use:

When Claude picks a different port, it passes the assigned port to your server via the PORT environment variable.

Examples

These configurations show common setups for different project types:

This configuration runs a Next.js app using Yarn on port 3000:

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "web",
      "runtimeExecutable": "yarn",
      "runtimeArgs": ["dev"],
      "port": 3000
    }
  ]
}
```

For a monorepo with a frontend and an API server, define multiple configurations. The frontend uses autoPort: true so it picks a free port if 3000 is taken, while the API server requires port 8080 exactly:

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "frontend",
      "runtimeExecutable": "npm",
      "runtimeArgs": ["run", "dev"],
      "cwd": "apps/web",
      "port": 3000,
      "autoPort": true
    },
    {
      "name": "api",
      "runtimeExecutable": "npm",
      "runtimeArgs": ["run", "start"],
      "cwd": "server",
      "port": 8080,
      "env": { "NODE_ENV": "development" },
      "autoPort": false
    }
  ]
}
```

To run a Node.js script directly instead of using a package manager command, use the program field:

```json theme={null}
{
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "server",
      "program": "server.js",
      "args": ["--verbose"],
      "port": 4000
    }
  ]
}
```

Environment configuration

The environment you pick when starting a session determines where Claude executes and how you connect:

Local sessions

The desktop app does not always inherit your full shell environment. On macOS, when you launch the app from the Dock or Finder, it reads your shell profile, such as ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc, to extract PATH and a fixed set of Claude Code variables, but other variables you export there are not picked up. On Windows, the app inherits user and system environment variables but does not read PowerShell profiles.

To set environment variables for local sessions and dev servers on any platform, open the environment dropdown in the prompt box, hover over Local, and click the gear icon to open the local environment editor. Variables you save here are stored encrypted on your machine and apply to every local session and preview server you start. You can also add variables to the env key in your ~/.claude/settings.json file, though these reach Claude sessions only and not dev servers. See environment variables for the full list of supported variables.

Extended thinking is enabled by default, which improves performance on complex reasoning tasks but uses additional tokens. To disable thinking entirely, set MAX_THINKING_TOKENS to 0 in the local environment editor. On models with adaptive reasoning, any other MAX_THINKING_TOKENS value is ignored because adaptive reasoning controls thinking depth instead. On Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6, set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ADAPTIVE_THINKING to 1 to use a fixed thinking budget; Opus 4.7 always uses adaptive reasoning and has no fixed-budget mode.

Remote sessions

Remote sessions continue in the background even if you close the app. Usage counts toward your subscription plan limits with no separate compute charges.

You can create custom cloud environments with different network access levels and environment variables. Select the environment dropdown when starting a remote session and choose Add environment. See the cloud environment for details on configuring network access and environment variables.

SSH sessions

SSH sessions let you run Claude Code on a remote machine while using the desktop app as your interface. This is useful for working with codebases that live on cloud VMs, dev containers, or servers with specific hardware or dependencies.

To add an SSH connection, click the environment dropdown before starting a session and select + Add SSH connection. The dialog asks for:

Once added, the connection appears in the environment dropdown. Select it to start a session on that machine. Claude runs on the remote machine with access to its files and tools.

The remote machine must run Linux or macOS, and Claude Code must be installed on it. Once connected, SSH sessions support permission modes, connectors, plugins, and MCP servers.

Enterprise configuration

Organizations on Team or Enterprise plans can manage desktop app behavior through admin console controls, managed settings files, and device management policies.

Admin console controls

These settings are configured through the admin settings console:

Managed settings

Managed settings override project and user settings and apply when Desktop spawns CLI sessions. You can set these keys in your organization's managed settings file or push them remotely through the admin console.

Key Description
permissions.disableBypassPermissionsMode set to "disable" to prevent users from enabling Bypass permissions mode.
disableAutoMode set to "disable" to prevent users from enabling Auto mode. Removes Auto from the mode selector. Also accepted under permissions.
autoMode customize what the auto mode classifier trusts and blocks across your organization. See Configure the auto mode classifier.

permissions.disableBypassPermissionsMode and disableAutoMode also work in user and project settings, but placing them in managed settings prevents users from overriding them. autoMode is read from user settings, .claude/settings.local.json, and managed settings, but not from the checked-in .claude/settings.json: a cloned repo cannot inject its own classifier rules. For the complete list of managed-only settings including allowManagedPermissionRulesOnly and allowManagedHooksOnly, see managed-only settings.

Remote managed settings uploaded through the admin console currently apply to CLI and IDE sessions only. For Desktop-specific restrictions, use the admin console controls above.

Device management policies

IT teams can manage the desktop app through MDM on macOS or group policy on Windows. Available policies include enabling or disabling the Claude Code feature, controlling auto-updates, and setting a custom deployment URL.

Authentication and SSO

Enterprise organizations can require SSO for all users. See authentication for plan-level details and Setting up SSO for SAML and OIDC configuration.

Data handling

Claude Code processes your code locally in local sessions or on Anthropic's cloud infrastructure in remote sessions. Conversations and code context are sent to Anthropic's API for processing. See data handling for details on data retention, privacy, and compliance.

Deployment

Desktop can be distributed through enterprise deployment tools:

For network configuration such as proxy settings, firewall allowlisting, and LLM gateways, see network configuration.

For the full enterprise configuration reference, see the enterprise configuration guide.

Coming from the CLI?

If you already use the Claude Code CLI, Desktop runs the same underlying engine with a graphical interface. You can run both simultaneously on the same machine, even on the same project. Each maintains separate session history, but they share configuration and project memory via CLAUDE.md files.

To move a CLI session into Desktop, run /desktop in the terminal. Claude saves your session and opens it in the desktop app, then exits the CLI. This command is available on macOS and Windows only.

When to use Desktop vs CLI: use Desktop when you want to manage parallel sessions in one window, arrange panes side by side, or review changes visually. Use the CLI when you need scripting, automation, or prefer a terminal workflow.

CLI flag equivalents

This table shows the desktop app equivalent for common CLI flags. Flags not listed have no desktop equivalent because they are designed for scripting or automation.

CLI Desktop equivalent
--model sonnet Model dropdown next to the send button
--resume, --continue Click a session in the sidebar
--permission-mode Mode selector next to the send button
--dangerously-skip-permissions Bypass permissions mode. Enable in Settings → Claude Code → "Allow bypass permissions mode". Enterprise admins can disable this setting.
--add-dir Add multiple repos with the + button in remote sessions
--allowedTools, --disallowedTools Not available in Desktop
--verbose Verbose view mode in the Transcript view dropdown
--print, --output-format Not available. Desktop is interactive only.
ANTHROPIC_MODEL env var Model dropdown next to the send button
MAX_THINKING_TOKENS env var Set in the local environment editor. See environment configuration.

Shared configuration

Desktop and CLI read the same configuration files, so your setup carries over:

MCP servers: desktop chat app vs Claude Code: MCP servers configured for the Claude Desktop chat app in claude_desktop_config.json are separate from Claude Code and will not appear in the Code tab. To use MCP servers in Claude Code, configure them in ~/.claude.json or your project's .mcp.json file. See MCP configuration for details.

Feature comparison

This table compares core capabilities between the CLI and Desktop. For a full list of CLI flags, see the CLI reference.

Feature CLI Desktop
Permission modes All modes including dontAsk Ask permissions, Auto accept edits, Plan mode, Auto, and Bypass permissions via Settings
--dangerously-skip-permissions CLI flag Bypass permissions mode. Enable in Settings → Claude Code → "Allow bypass permissions mode"
Third-party providers Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry Anthropic's API by default. Enterprise deployments can configure Vertex AI and gateway providers. See the enterprise configuration guide.
MCP servers Configure in settings files Connectors UI for local and SSH sessions, or settings files
Plugins /plugin command Plugin manager UI
@mention files Text-based With autocomplete; local and SSH sessions only
File attachments Not available Images, PDFs
Session isolation --worktree flag Automatic worktrees
Multiple sessions Separate terminals Sidebar tabs
Recurring tasks Cron jobs, CI pipelines Scheduled tasks
Computer use Enable via /mcp on macOS App and screen control on macOS and Windows
Dispatch integration Not available Dispatch sessions in the sidebar
Scripting and automation --print, Agent SDK Not available

What's not available in Desktop

The following features are only available in the CLI or VS Code extension:

Troubleshooting

The sections below cover issues specific to the desktop app. For runtime API errors that appear in the chat such as API Error: 500, 529 Overloaded, 429, or Prompt is too long, see the Error reference. Those errors and their fixes are the same across the CLI, desktop, and web.

Check your version

To see which version of the desktop app you're running:

Click the version number to copy it to your clipboard.

403 or authentication errors in the Code tab

If you see Error 403: Forbidden or other authentication failures when using the Code tab:

  1. Sign out and back in from the app menu. This is the most common fix.
  2. Verify you have an active paid subscription: Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise.
  3. If the CLI works but Desktop does not, quit the desktop app completely, not just close the window, then reopen and sign in again.
  4. Check your internet connection and proxy settings.

Blank or stuck screen on launch

If the app opens but shows a blank or unresponsive screen:

  1. Restart the app.
  2. Check for pending updates. The app auto-updates on launch.
  3. On Windows, check Event Viewer for crash logs under Windows Logs → Application.

"Failed to load session"

If you see Failed to load session, the selected folder may no longer exist, a Git repository may require Git LFS that isn't installed, or file permissions may prevent access. Try selecting a different folder or restarting the app.

Session not finding installed tools

If Claude can't find tools like npm, node, or other CLI commands, verify the tools work in your regular terminal, check that your shell profile properly sets up PATH, and restart the desktop app to reload environment variables.

Git and Git LFS errors

On Windows, Git is required for the Code tab to start local sessions. If you see "Git is required," install Git for Windows and restart the app.

If you see "Git LFS is required by this repository but is not installed," install Git LFS from git-lfs.com, run git lfs install, and restart the app.

MCP servers not working on Windows

If MCP server toggles don't respond or servers fail to connect on Windows, check that the server is properly configured in your settings, restart the app, verify the server process is running in Task Manager, and review server logs for connection errors.

App won't quit

Windows-specific issues

"Branch doesn't exist yet" when opening in CLI

Remote sessions can create branches that don't exist on your local machine. Click the branch name in the session toolbar to copy it, then fetch it locally:

bash theme={null} git fetch origin <branch-name> git checkout <branch-name>

Still stuck?

When filing a bug, include your desktop app version, your operating system, the exact error message, and relevant logs. On macOS, check Console.app. On Windows, check Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application.