Claude Code Channels: Telegram, Discord, and iMessage
Channels are a Claude Code research preview. They push messages or events from Telegram, Discord, iMessage, or your own service into a running Claude Code session. They are not a built-in Cowork messaging feature.
A channel is an official plugin or custom MCP server that feeds events into the Claude Code session already running on your machine. A two-way channel can return Claude's response to the same chat. This is useful for alerts, CI results, and mobile chat, but the local session must remain open.
Before you start
- Claude Code 2.1.80 or later
- Anthropic authentication through Claude or a Console API key
- Bun, required by the supported channel plugins
- A running local Claude Code session
- Admin enablement for Team and Enterprise organizations
Channels are not available through Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry.
Supported official channels
- Telegram
- Discord
- iMessage
- Fakechat for a local demonstration
Install the current official plugin from the Claude Code plugin marketplace, run its configure command, restart Claude Code with the channel enabled, and pair your sender identity. Use the exact commands in the official documentation because preview setup can change.
How Channels differ from Dispatch
| Channels | Cowork Dispatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Claude Code | Claude Cowork |
| Input | Chat messages, alerts, webhooks | Claude mobile app |
| Runs on | Local Claude Code session | Claude Desktop |
| Setup | Plugin, credentials, startup flag | Guided setup in Cowork |
| Best for | Developer events and custom integrations | Assigning desktop work from your phone |
Security checklist
- Pair and allowlist individual senders, not just a chat room.
- Use a dedicated bot and protect its token like a password.
- Enable only the channel plugins needed for that session.
- Treat every inbound message as untrusted input.
- Do not expose a custom webhook receiver without authentication and sender checks.
An unprotected channel is a prompt-injection path into a session that may already have access to source code and developer tools.
Frequently asked questions
Do Channels work when my computer sleeps?
No. Events only reach the Claude Code session while it is open. An always-on setup requires a persistent local process.
Are Channels part of Cowork?
No. They are documented as a Claude Code preview. Cowork users who want to send desktop tasks from a phone should evaluate Dispatch instead.
Can a channel send files?
Capabilities depend on the plugin. Check the official plugin documentation and keep permissions limited to the intended workflow.
Related Guides
- Mobile Remote Tasks — How remote and mobile task patterns differ across Claude products
- Safety Tips — Treat inbound chat and webhook content as untrusted input
Related Features
- Dispatch — Cowork’s phone-to-desktop assignment flow (not the same as Channels)
- Code Review — Managed Claude Code GitHub reviews for Team and Enterprise
Related Comparisons
- All Claude Cowork comparisons
- Claude Cowork vs Claude Code — When knowledge-work Cowork differs from developer Claude Code
- Claude Cowork vs ZCode — Another agent surface with bot-channel remote control