Anthropic Launches Dispatch: Control Claude on Your Desktop from Your Phone

Anthropic has released Dispatch, a new research preview feature for Claude Cowork that turns a mobile phone into a remote control for a desktop AI agent. The feature, announced on March 17, 2026, allows users to message Claude from their phone while it executes tasks on their Mac using local files, apps, and integrations.

How Dispatch Works

Dispatch creates a single persistent conversation thread that syncs between the Claude mobile app and the Claude Desktop app. Setup is straightforward: users update their Claude Mac app, scan a QR code to pair their phone, and access Dispatch through a new entry in the mobile sidebar.

Once paired, Claude runs on the desktop with full access to local files, connectors, and plugins already configured in Cowork. From their phone, users can instruct Claude to compile reports from local spreadsheets, draft briefings from Slack and email, or build presentations from Google Drive files.

The Mac must remain awake with the Claude app running for Dispatch to function.

Key Capabilities

Early testing by MacStories reviewer John Voorhees showed Dispatch successfully handling several tasks:

• Locating screenshots containing specific text
• Summarizing recent notes from Notion
• Listing saved entries from a Notion database
• Retrieving URLs added to Notion
• Summarizing recent emails

The feature essentially transforms Claude into an always-on AI employee that waits for instructions and works while the user is away from their desk.

Availability and Pricing

Dispatch is currently available to Max subscribers as a research preview. Anthropic plans to expand access to Pro plan users within days of launch.

Early Limitations

The feature is still rough around the edges. Testing revealed an approximately 50 percent success rate, with failed tasks including opening Mac applications, sending files via iMessage, accessing Todoist due to authorization errors, and retrieving Safari tab content.

The MacStories review noted that "Dispatch is slow" and requires significant development before becoming reliable for everyday remote use, though it represents "a step in the right direction."

What This Means

Dispatch signals a broader shift in how AI assistants operate. Rather than waiting for users to sit at their computers, AI agents are becoming persistent background workers that can be tasked remotely. Anthropic joins a growing trend alongside features like Claude Code's existing Remote Control capability.

For developers and knowledge workers, the promise is compelling: fire off a task from your phone during a commute, and return to completed work. The execution still needs polish, but the direction is clear — AI assistants are moving from reactive chat interfaces to proactive, always-available agents.

Source: MacStories