Dispatch: One Conversation, Always Running, Mobile-First

One persistent conversation with Claude that runs on your computer. Message it anytime from your phone. Come back to finished work.

Dispatch is the feature that makes Claude Cowork feel like a real teammate. Instead of starting a new session every time you want something done, you have one ongoing conversation with Claude that stays alive on your computer. You can message it from your phone at any time — during your commute, in a meeting, from bed — and Claude picks up the task, executes it on your machine, and reports back.

I'm heading into a meeting. While I'm gone:

1. Review the pull requests in ~/Projects/myapp/ that are waiting for review
2. For each PR, run the test suite and check for linting issues
3. Write a summary of each PR's changes and any issues found
4. Save the review as ~/Reviews/pr-review-[DATE].md
5. When you're done, send me a message with the summary

If any PR has failing tests, flag it at the top of the review.

What Dispatch Does

Dispatch creates a persistent, always-on Claude session on your computer that you can interact with from anywhere. Think of it as a remote control for your desktop AI assistant.

Key Capabilities

• Persistent session: The conversation doesn't end when you close the app. Claude stays alive and ready.
• Mobile messaging: Send tasks and questions from your phone via the Claude mobile app or messaging integrations.
• Background execution: Claude works on tasks while you're away. You come back to completed work.
• Context retention: Claude remembers the full conversation history. No need to re-explain your project or preferences each time.
• Multi-task queuing: Send several tasks in a row. Claude queues them and works through them in order.

How Dispatch Differs from Regular Cowork

How to Set Up Dispatch

Step 1: Enable Dispatch Mode

In Claude Desktop → Settings → Cowork → enable "Persistent Session" (Dispatch).

Step 2: Install the Mobile App

Download the Claude mobile app on your phone (iOS or Android). Log in with the same account.

Step 3: Pair Your Devices

Open Claude Desktop and Claude Mobile simultaneously. They'll automatically pair. You'll see a "Connected" indicator in both apps.

Step 4: Start Messaging

Send a message from your phone. Claude receives it on your computer, executes the task, and sends the result back to your phone.

Real-World Use Cases

1. Commute Productivity

While on the train, message Claude: "Review the meeting notes from yesterday and draft a follow-up email to the team." By the time you arrive at the office, the draft is ready in your inbox.

2. Meeting Multi-Tasking

In a boring meeting? Message Claude: "While I'm in this meeting, organize my Downloads folder and sort files by type." You return to a clean desktop.

3. Overnight Research

Before bed, message Claude: "Research the top 5 competitors to [company name]. Summarize their pricing, features, and recent news. Save as ~/Research/competitor-analysis.md." You wake up to a finished report.

4. Travel Task Delegation

On a business trip, message Claude: "Check if the deployment from yesterday succeeded. If there are errors, pull the logs and summarize them." Claude checks your server and reports back.

5. Reminder & Follow-Up

"Remind me to follow up with [client] about [proposal] on Friday. Draft a polite follow-up email and save it to ~/Drafts/." Claude creates the draft and schedules a reminder.

Best Practices

Be Specific About File Paths

When messaging from your phone, you can't browse your file system. Be explicit about which folders and files Claude should access: "Read ~/Projects/myapp/README.md" rather than "Read the README."

Set Clear Completion Criteria

Tell Claude what "done" looks like: "Save the report as a PDF in ~/Reports/ and send me a confirmation message." Without this, Claude may not know when to stop.

Use Queues for Batch Tasks

If you have multiple tasks, list them in one message. Claude will work through them in order and report after each completion.

Check In Periodically

Dispatch is powerful, but don't set it and forget it entirely. Check in once a day to review what Claude did, catch any issues, and adjust priorities.

Keep Sensitive Tasks Local

For tasks involving passwords, financial data, or private communications, wait until you're at your computer. Don't message these over mobile networks.

Limitations

• Computer must be on: Claude runs on your computer. If your computer is asleep or off, Dispatch can't execute tasks. Messages are queued and executed when the computer wakes.
• Network dependency: Both your phone and computer need internet access.
• No screen viewing from phone: You can't see Claude's screen from your phone. You rely on text updates and saved files.
• Usage limits: Dispatch sessions consume usage allocation. Long-running persistent sessions can hit limits on Pro plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dispatch available on all plans?

Dispatch is available on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. Pro users may hit usage limits faster due to the always-on nature of the session.

Can I have multiple Dispatch sessions?

Currently, you can have one active Dispatch session per computer. If you need multiple persistent sessions, use separate user accounts.

What happens if my computer goes to sleep?

Tasks are paused. When your computer wakes, Claude resumes from where it left off. Messages sent while the computer was asleep are queued and processed in order.

Is Dispatch secure?

All communication is encrypted end-to-end between your phone and computer. Claude doesn't send your data to the cloud for training. Tasks execute locally on your machine.

Can I use Dispatch without the mobile app?

Yes. You can also interact with your Dispatch session from a web browser at claude.ai, or via Telegram/Discord channels (see the Channels feature).