Claude Code can now use your Mac in the background while you work

Anthropic is making Claude’s computer-use feature less disruptive on Mac. In an official post from Claude’s X account, the company says Claude can now click, type, and open apps in the background through Claude Cowork and Claude Code while you continue using your computer.

The update is aimed at Pro and Max users. It is useful for repetitive desktop work, but it does not turn Claude into a fully unattended assistant. You still need to approve app access, and your Mac must remain awake with Claude Desktop open.

Claude can control apps without taking over your screen

Anthropic’s current help documentation says background windows work on macOS 15 or later. Claude can interact with approved apps without taking over your pointer or keyboard, and it generally waits if you are in the middle of typing.

That makes computer use more practical for tasks such as moving information between apps, checking a dashboard, or running a repetitive workflow while you do something else. The earlier Claude Mac computer-use rollout required handing more of the desktop to the agent. Background windows reduce that friction.

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Permissions still matter

Computer use is off by default. Claude’s Code documentation says Mac users must grant Accessibility permission so Claude can click and type, along with Screen Recording permission so it can see the screen. Claude also asks for approval before it uses a specific app.

Those permissions are important because computer use operates on the real desktop. Anthropic warns that screenshots can include anything visible in an approved app, including private documents or personal information. It also says the feature can struggle with complex workflows, so background mode is better suited to repeatable, low-risk tasks than sensitive work.

Who gets background computer use?

Anthropic’s help page lists computer use as a beta feature for Claude Pro and Max. It is available in Claude Cowork and Claude Code inside the Claude Desktop app. Team and Enterprise plans do not have access to computer use at this time.

The wider computer-use feature is also documented for Windows, but the background-window behavior in this update is the Mac experience and requires macOS 15 or later. The Claude Desktop app must stay open, and the computer must remain awake while the task runs.

Developers already using Claude Code with Apple’s iOS Simulator may find this useful for workflows that need both the simulator and other Mac apps. For everyone else, the practical change is simple: Claude can keep working in a background window while you keep the rest of the desktop under your control.