Phone Acting as PC: Claude is online on Dispatch, people leave but AI is still busy

According to 1M AI News monitoring, Anthropic has launched a new feature, Dispatch (Research Preview), in the Claude desktop's Cowork mode. Felix Rieseberg, Claude Cowork's Engineering Lead, announced this feature on X. The core logic of Dispatch is to keep the Claude desktop application running on a Mac, where users can send instructions through the mobile Claude app. Claude executes tasks in a sandbox environment on the computer, with files staying local, and each step requiring user confirmation before execution. This feature is similar to the previous Claude Code's Remote Control but is geared towards a graphical Cowork environment. Users can send tasks via mobile while away from their computers and check the completed work upon their return.

The setup involves scanning a QR code in the Mac Claude app to pair with the phone. Dispatch is currently only available to Max subscription users, with Pro users gaining access in the next few days. MacStories' hands-on testing shows that the feature is currently slow, with a success rate of about fifty percent. Searching for files and using Connectors works well, but actions like sending iMessage or opening apps are not yet available.