Claude computer use on the Mac: set it up in Claude Desktop and Claude Code

Short answer: Claude computer use on the Mac is a research preview included in the Pro and Max plans. In Claude Desktop (Cowork and the Code tab) you turn on Enable computer use in Settings and allow Accessibility and Screen Recording; on macOS 15 or later Claude then works in background windows by default. In the Claude Code CLI you enable the built-in computer-use server with /mcp. Browsers stay view-only, terminals and IDEs click-only, and Team and Enterprise plans are excluded; for other clients or several agents at once you need a computer use MCP server.

What you need

Anthropic ships the same computer use engine in two places on the Mac: the Claude Desktop app (in Cowork and in the Code tab) and the Claude Code CLI in your terminal. The requirements, as documented in October 2026:

Team and Enterprise plans, API keys and third-party providers such as Amazon Bedrock are not covered. If that is your setup, read Claude computer use on a Team or Enterprise plan instead. Sources: Claude Help Center, Claude Desktop docs, Claude Code docs.

Set it up in Claude Desktop and Cowork

1. Update Claude Desktop. Download or update it at claude.com/download, then restart the app.
2. Turn on the toggle. Open Settings and switch on Enable computer use. Anthropic's help article places it under General in the Desktop app section; the Claude Code docs place it under This computer > System. If you see no toggle, check that you are on a Pro or Max plan and update the app.
3. Grant the two macOS permissions. Accessibility lets Claude click, type and scroll; Screen Recording lets it see the screen. The Settings page shows the status of each, and a click on a denied badge opens the right pane in System Settings.
4. Start a task. Open Cowork or the Code tab and ask for something in an app, for example "Open Numbers and add this week's expenses to Budget.numbers." The first time Claude needs an app, choose Allow for this session or Deny.

Anthropic is merging Cowork and chat into one Claude app in a gradual rollout, so where you start a task may look different from these steps, but the computer use setting stays the same.

Background mode or full control

On macOS 15 or later, background mode is the default. Claude works in background windows, does not take over your pointer or keyboard and generally waits while you type. The first time a task needs the full screen in a session, Claude asks for permission. If you prefer Claude to always take the screen, set When Claude requests access to an app to Full control in the same Settings section.

Outside background mode, Claude hides your other windows so it only interacts with the approved app, and restores them when it finishes, unless you turn off Unhide apps when Claude finishes. Either way, Claude can only work while the Mac is awake and the Claude Desktop app is open.

How this compares with other tools is covered in background computer use on the Mac.

Set it up in the Claude Code CLI

In the terminal the setup takes a minute:

1. Start Claude Code in your project and run /mcp.
2. Select computer-use and choose Enable. The setting is saved per project.
3. The first time Claude uses the screen, grant Accessibility and Screen Recording to your terminal app, then choose Try again. macOS may require a restart of Claude Code after Screen Recording.

The CLI behaves differently from the desktop app: there is no background mode, so your other visible apps are hidden while Claude works and come back when the turn ends. Only one session at a time can use the computer. The details, including the error messages and their fixes, are in the Claude Code computer use guide.

What Claude may do in each app

Approving an app does not give Claude full control of it. Anthropic fixes the level by app category, and you cannot change it:

Investment, trading and cryptocurrency apps are blocked by default, and you can add more apps to a denied list in Settings. Terminals, Finder and System Settings show an extra warning before you approve them, because they reach the shell, every file or the system configuration.

Claude also uses computer use last. It first tries a connector for the service, then a shell command, then Claude in Chrome for browser work, and only then the screen. For web tasks that means Claude in Chrome, not computer use.

Limits to know

• Pro or Max only. No Team, Enterprise, API key or Bedrock access to the built-in feature.
• Browsers are view-only. Claude cannot fill a web form through computer use; it needs Claude in Chrome for that.
• Terminals and IDEs are click-only. Claude does not type into them through the screen.
• One Claude Code session at a time. In the CLI the first session holds a lock until it exits.
• Only Claude. Codex, Cursor or VS Code agents cannot use Claude's computer use.
• Slower than tools. Anthropic notes that screen interaction is slower than connectors and that complex multi-step tasks may need a second attempt.
• It is your real desktop. There is no sandbox between Claude and the approved apps. Read whether it is safe to let an AI control your Mac before you approve broad apps.

When the built-in feature is not enough

If you use Claude Desktop on Pro or Max and run one task at a time, the built-in background mode is enough. Use it.

You need something else when you want computer use in the client you already work in (the Codex CLI, Cursor, VS Code, or Claude Code without hidden apps), when several agents should work in apps at the same time, when your plan excludes the built-in feature, or when an agent should operate websites, not only look at them.

ShadowCursor is a Mac app and MCP server for those cases. It gives every connected agent its own cursor, drawn in its color with a name tag, its own keyboard whose keys arrive only in its window, its own clipboard and its own windows, which it can operate while yours cover them. Several agents can work at once, each with its own cursor, and input moves like a person, with curved pointer paths and typing at about 200 words per minute. It works in Claude Code on any plan, as well as in Codex, Cursor and VS Code.

Its limits: minimized and hidden windows cannot be operated, system drag and drop of files is cancelled, hover without a click does not reach Chrome or Electron apps, and it needs macOS 15 or later. It costs $12.99 per month after a 7-day free trial; the pricing guide compares it with what Claude's plans include.

FAQ

Is Claude computer use free on the Mac?

No. It requires a Pro or Max plan; the free plan does not include it. Anthropic lists no separate price for computer use on top of those plans.

Does Claude computer use work in the background on a Mac?

In Claude Desktop, yes: on macOS 15 or later, background mode is the default and Claude works in background windows while you keep working. The Claude Code CLI has no background mode; it hides your other apps until the turn ends.

Why can Claude see my browser but not click in it?

Browsers are in the view-only tier for Claude's computer use. For browser tasks Anthropic offers Claude in Chrome. A computer use MCP server such as ShadowCursor can operate a Safari window of the agent's own.

Can I run Claude computer use on a Mac mini that nobody uses?

Anthropic documents no hardware requirement beyond macOS. The Mac has to stay awake with the Claude Desktop app open, and you still approve each app per session, so plan for someone to answer the prompts.

How do I stop Claude while it uses my computer?

In the Claude Code CLI, press Esc anywhere or Ctrl+C in the terminal; Claude stops and unhides your apps. In Claude Desktop, Esc stops Claude's response in the Code tab, and Anthropic says you can stop Claude at any point.