What Claude Dispatch Can Access on Your Computer

Claude Dispatch lets you send a task from the Claude mobile app and have Claude carry it out on your desktop computer. It can use the local files, connectors, plugins, and apps available to Cowork, subject to the permissions you granted. The task runs on the desktop, so the computer must stay awake and Claude Desktop must remain open.

This is not the same as giving your phone unrestricted remote-desktop access. Claude interprets the request and uses the tools available in its desktop session. What it can reach depends on your operating system, Cowork configuration, file permissions, installed integrations, and whether computer use is available.

Dispatch requirements

According to the current Claude Dispatch help page, Dispatch is a beta feature for eligible Cowork plans and requires current Claude Desktop and Claude mobile apps. Complete the Dispatch setup from Cowork, choose whether to allow local-file access, and enable the option that keeps the computer awake if you want work to continue while you are away.

• Keep the desktop computer powered on, connected, and awake.
• Leave Claude Desktop running while the task is in progress.
• Grant only the file and integration access needed for the work.
• Enable mobile notifications so you see completion and approval requests.

What Dispatch can use

Local files you have made available

Dispatch can ask the desktop Cowork session to read, organize, analyze, or create files within the access you configured. A useful request names both the source and destination, such as: “Summarize the spreadsheets in the March Reports folder and save the memo as March Reports/summary.docx.” Specific paths and output formats reduce ambiguity.

Do not assume that every file on the computer is automatically exposed. Operating-system privacy controls and the permissions selected during setup still matter.

Connectors and plugins

Dispatch uses the connectors and plugins already configured in Cowork. That can make tasks such as gathering material from a connected drive or reviewing messages possible without setting up a separate mobile integration. Authentication, service permissions, and tool availability can still limit a task.

Test an unfamiliar integration with a read-only request first. If that succeeds, try a small, reversible write before depending on it for a critical workflow. A connector failure does not necessarily mean Dispatch itself has lost its connection; the external service may require renewed authorization or may be temporarily unavailable.

Desktop applications and computer use

On supported desktop platforms, Cowork computer use can interact with applications directly. This means Dispatch may be able to update a spreadsheet in an app, navigate a dashboard, or work through a browser when a more direct connector is unavailable. Computer use is not available on every platform; in particular, current Claude documentation says the Linux beta can use files, connectors, and plugins but cannot control desktop apps through computer use.

Screen interaction is less predictable than a purpose-built connector. Watch the result carefully when a task depends on changing interfaces, pop-up dialogs, or content that could contain malicious instructions.

How context works

Dispatch provides a continuous conversation that synchronizes between the mobile and desktop surfaces. You can start from your phone, follow the same thread on the desktop, and receive the completed output in that conversation. Development work may open a Claude Code session, while knowledge work may run in Cowork.

The task still needs enough context to succeed. Include the file or folder, desired output, constraints, and any facts Claude should not infer. For important work, ask Claude to save the deliverable to a clearly named file rather than leaving the only copy in a chat response.

Permissions and safety checks

A Dispatch instruction can cause real changes on the computer or in connected services. Claude may request your approval before taking consequential actions, and the mobile app can send a notification when approval is needed. The exact prompt depends on the task and current product permissions, so do not treat any fixed list as exhaustive.

Do not approve a request solely because it arrived as a trusted notification. Read the described action, target, and destination. If the task no longer matches your intent, deny it and send a narrower instruction.

Practical limits to plan around

• Desktop availability: local Dispatch work stops if the computer sleeps, loses its connection, or closes Claude Desktop.
• Permission boundaries: inaccessible folders, expired connector authorization, and blocked application permissions can prevent completion.
• Interface reliability: application screens can change or present unexpected dialogs.
• Task ambiguity: “organize my files” is riskier than a request with a named folder, rule set, and review step.
• Platform differences: file, connector, and computer-use support can differ by operating system and product release.

A reliable Dispatch request template

Goal: [the result you want]
Source: [specific file, folder, connector, or app]
Output: [filename, format, and destination]
Constraints: [what must not be changed or sent]
Review step: [show a plan or draft before consequential actions]

For example: “Read the CSV files in Documents/Quarterly Review, create a new comparison workbook in the same folder, do not modify the source files, and ask before sending or deleting anything.” This gives Dispatch a clear boundary and leaves the originals intact.