Computer Use Feature
Computer use extends Cowork beyond files and folders — Claude can interact with apps on your screen. Click, type, open programs, and work in the browser through Claude in Chrome, with clear rules for when connectors are safer than mouse control.
What is computer use?
Computer use lets Claude control your desktop the way you would — moving the cursor, clicking buttons, typing text, and opening applications. It is how Cowork reaches apps that do not expose a simple file or API connection.
Click
Press buttons, select menu items, follow links
Type
Fill forms, enter formulas, write email text
Open apps
Launch Excel, a browser, mail client, or any installed program
Navigate browsers
Go to URLs, scroll pages, interact with web UIs
Claude in Chrome as a connector
Claude in Chrome is a browser extension that connects Claude to the page you are viewing. For web-based tasks, it is often faster than computer use — Claude reads and acts inside Chrome so you do not need to switch windows.
- Stays in the browser — Claude works on the current tab from a side panel, no alt-tab to Desktop.
- Reads page content — it can see text, tables, and forms on the page you have open.
- Browser-only tasks — good for lookups, form fills, copying data from a portal, or summarizing a long article.
- Install once — add the extension from claude.com/chrome and sign in with your Claude account.
Order #4821 — Status
Safety model: connectors vs mouse
Not every action needs the mouse. Anthropic separates connectors (structured integrations) from computer use (screen control). Connectors are narrower and easier to review; mouse control handles actions outside those integrations.
Claude talks to an app through a built-in connection — structured data in and out. No screen control.
Examples:
- Claude in Chrome reading the current tab
- Plugin pulling data from an API
- Web search fetching live pages
Claude moves the cursor, clicks buttons, and types keystrokes — the same as a person at the desk.
Examples:
- Clicking through a desktop app with no API
- Filling a form in legacy software
- Opening apps and navigating menus
| Question | Use a connector | Use computer use |
|---|---|---|
| Task is on a website you already have open | Claude in Chrome | Only if Chrome cannot reach it |
| App has a plugin or API integration | Connector / plugin | Skip mouse if integration exists |
| Legacy desktop app with no API | Not available | Computer use |
| Need to click through OS menus | Not available | Computer use |
| Sensitive action (send email, delete file) | Prefer connector + confirm | Ask before acting on each step |
Simple examples
| Approach | Example prompt | How it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer use | “Open the PDF app, export page 3 as PNG, and save it to my Reports folder.” | Mouse and keyboard on desktop |
| Claude in Chrome | “On this order page, copy the delivery date and add it to my tracking sheet.” | Chrome connector — no window switch |
| Connector (plugin) | “Pull last week's Slack summary via the installed plugin.” | API connector — no screen control |
Before you continue
- Computer use lets Claude click, type, open apps, and navigate browsers on your desktop.
- Claude in Chrome is the browser connector for web tasks without switching windows.
- Prefer connectors when they exist; use mouse control for legacy apps with step approval.
- Keep Ask before acting on whenever computer use is enabled.
- Next lesson: Projects — organise files, instructions, and task context in one workspace.
What's Next
Projects Feature — organize files, instructions, and task context in one Cowork workspace.