Claude Dispatch | How to Send Tasks to Claude Code from Your Smartphone

What Is Claude Dispatch — Automatic Routing from the Cowork Tab to Code Sessions

Claude Dispatch is a persistent conversation with Claude located in the Cowork tab of the Claude Desktop app. It evaluates the tasks you send as messages and automatically routes them to the most appropriate surface — either continuing in Cowork or creating a new Code session — without any manual intervention (Source: Using Claude Code Desktop).

There are two ways a task can be routed to a Code session:

• Direct request: Explicitly ask for a Code session, such as "Open a Claude Code session and fix the login bug"
• Automatic detection: Dispatch identifies the task as development work and creates a session automatically

Tasks that are typically routed to Code include bug fixes, dependency updates, test runs, and PR creation, while research, document editing, and spreadsheet work remain in Cowork.

Identified by the Dispatch Badge

Regardless of which path is taken, Code sessions generated by Dispatch appear in the Code tab sidebar with a Dispatch badge. You can monitor their progress alongside regular Code sessions, and you receive a push notification on your smartphone when a task completes or requires your approval.

This enables an asynchronous development workflow where you send instructions from your phone and receive the results on your phone. You can step away from your desk, fire off a "go ahead and fix this" message on your phone, and check the outcome while you're on the move.

How the Cowork Tab and Code Tab Divide Responsibilities

Claude Desktop is organized into three tabs, each optimized for different use cases (Source: Using Claude Code Desktop).

The Cowork tab is Dispatch's home base, and when a development task arises, it branches out to the Code tab. The Chat tab is for ordinary conversation and is not part of the Dispatch routing flow.

Requirements — Pro/Max Plans Only + Desktop App

Dispatch has two requirements (Source: Using Claude Code Desktop):

You also need to set up your smartphone. The steps are described in the Dispatch help article — you log in to the Claude mobile app and then complete the Dispatch pairing process.

Why Team and Enterprise Plans Are Not Supported

The fact that Dispatch is available on Pro/Max but not Team/Enterprise mirrors the situation with Computer Use: Dispatch is still in a research preview phase intended for validation with individual users. Allowing automatically triggered code changes initiated from a smartphone within organizational accounts raises significant questions around corporate security controls and compliance, so the feature rollout is proceeding cautiously.

If you need Dispatch-equivalent functionality on a Team or Enterprise plan, the practical options are to switch to a personal Pro or Max account or to use Routines + Slack notifications as a substitute.

Why Linux Is Not Supported

The Claude Desktop app is only available for macOS and Windows — there is no Linux version. Since Dispatch lives in the Cowork tab of the Desktop app, Linux users cannot use Dispatch. Linux developers can use the CLI version of Claude Code, but there is no Dispatch integration in the CLI.

As alternatives, Linux users can still access Routines, Claude Code on the Web, and SSH sessions, so choose based on your specific needs.

Special Behavior of Code Sessions Generated by Dispatch

Code sessions generated by Dispatch differ from regular Code sessions in several ways (Source: Using Claude Code Desktop):

The 30-Minute Computer Use Timeout

When Computer Use is enabled, Dispatch-generated sessions can also grant Claude control of your screen, but app approval expires after 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes have elapsed, if Claude needs to access the same app again, an Allow/Deny prompt will appear again in the terminal.

This constraint reduces the security risk of app permissions leaking during long sessions. It is a more security-conscious design than regular Code sessions, where approval remains valid for the entire session. Tasks sent from your phone are expected to be fire-and-forget, so the policy does not allow automatic re-approval.

When Push Notifications Are Sent

Dispatch-generated sessions send push notifications to your smartphone at the following moments:

• When the task is complete
• When an action requires your approval (such as a permissions prompt)
• When the session stops due to an unexpected error

This allows you to batch-review results even when you are not actively watching your phone. Rather than constantly surfacing information like a Slack ping, the design is "notify you when there's a result."

Choosing Between Dispatch and Other Remote Execution Options

Dispatch is not the only way to run Claude away from your terminal. Anthropic offers five options for running tasks remotely, each suited to different use cases (Source: Using Claude Code Desktop):

Dispatch vs. Remote Control

Both methods let you control your PC from your smartphone, but they serve different purposes. Dispatch is a starting point for sending new tasks, while Remote Control is a way to continue an existing session. With Dispatch, Claude executes work at its own discretion; with Remote Control, the user is directing a session they started on their PC from a smartphone screen.

Dispatch vs. Routines

Routines run on a time-based schedule (minimum one-hour intervals), while Dispatch is event-based (triggered by a smartphone message). Think of it this way: "Check dependency updates every morning at 9 a.m." is a Routines use case, while "Check right now whether the build is failing" is a Dispatch use case.

Summary — When to Choose Dispatch

Claude Dispatch is a research preview feature that lets you chat with Claude in the Cowork tab of Claude Desktop and automatically route development tasks to Claude Code sessions. It enables an asynchronous development workflow where you send tasks from your smartphone and receive results via push notification.

Before you get started, run through this three-item checklist:

• Subscribed to a Pro or Max plan (Team, Enterprise, and Free are not eligible)
• Using the Claude Desktop app (macOS or Windows) — Linux is not supported
• Dispatch pairing completed in the Claude mobile app

For task routing, remember: "bug fixes, dependency updates, test runs, and PR creation" go to Code, while "research, document editing, and spreadsheets" stay in Cowork. This will keep your expectations aligned with how Claude makes routing decisions. Dispatch-generated Code sessions support Computer Use, but note that app approval expires after 30 minutes.

Since this is a research preview, API formats and plan requirements may change in the future. Check the Using Claude Code Desktop page and the Dispatch help article for the latest specifications.

Sources (Primary Information)

• Using Claude Code Desktop (Claude Code official documentation)
• Dispatch help article (Anthropic Support)
• Cowork product page (claude.com)
• Claude Code on the Web (Claude Code official documentation)
• Platforms and integrations (Claude Code official documentation)

Related Articles

• Introduction to Claude Code — 9 Features Anyone Can Use
• Claude Code Computer Use Pitfalls
• Claude in Chrome — Beta Pitfalls
• Claude Code Scheduling — 4 Methods and Pitfalls
• Claude Code Automation Guide — Routines, Headless, and 4 Methods