Module 2Lesson 4 of 13·6 min

Claude Desktop App: Chat, Cowork, and Code

Learn about the three modes in the Claude desktop app — Chat for quick exchanges, Cowork for deep research and sustained work, and Code for building software — and when to use each one.

Three Ways to Work with Claude

The Claude desktop app gives you three distinct modes — Chat, Cowork, and Code — each designed around the type of work it serves. Chat handles quick questions and iterative conversations. Cowork takes on complex, sustained tasks like research briefs and contract reviews. Code is a full development environment for building software.

Cowork and Code both run on Claude Code underneath — local to your machine, capable of independent work, and able to spin up sub-agents for long tasks. The key difference is scope: Cowork runs in a protected sandbox limited to shared folders, while Code works directly in your project with full access to your file system and terminal.

Chat Mode

Chat excels when you need to ask questions, brainstorm, draft, or work through problems back and forth. It works the same as claude.ai, plus native desktop features that come from running directly on your computer.

  • Quick entry — double-tap the Option key to pull up Claude over whatever you are working on. It responds in a compact overlay window.
  • Screenshots and window sharing — capture your screen so Claude sees exactly what you are looking at. Faster and more precise than describing it.
  • Dictation — talk through a problem instead of typing. Useful when thinking out loud or away from your keyboard.
  • Desktop connectors — connect local tools and services so Claude can work with other applications on your machine.

Cowork Mode

Cowork is built for work that takes real effort: pulling information from many sources, making sense of it, and producing something finished. Claude can multitask across different parts of a project simultaneously, giving it the scope to draw from more sources and the stamina to see complex deliverables through to completion.

1

Folder Access

Give Claude a folder on your computer and it reads what is there, figures out what is relevant, and saves finished work back to the same location.

2

Scheduled Tasks

Claude handles recurring work automatically — daily briefings from Slack and calendar, weekly roundups, morning inbox triage. Define the task and schedule, and Claude runs it when the app is open.

3

Browser Use

Connect Chrome so Claude can navigate websites, interact with pages, and pull findings directly into the task — checking competitor pricing across sites or gathering data from pages without APIs.

4

Plugins

Add capabilities Claude does not have on its own: pulling live financial data, searching internal knowledge bases, or working within compliance frameworks.

Code Mode

Code puts a full development environment inside the desktop app, powered by Claude Code. Claude works directly in your codebase — reading files, writing and modifying code, and running commands. Visual diffs show what changed, a built-in terminal shows commands as they run, and Git tracks every version for easy rollback.

Code Mode Interaction Styles

Ask Mode

  • •Claude proposes every change and waits for your approval
  • •You review a visual diff and accept or reject before anything is modified
  • •Maximum control over what changes are made

Code Mode

  • •Claude applies file changes automatically
  • •Checks with you before running terminal commands
  • •Balanced autonomy for faster development flow

Plan Mode

  • •Claude outlines its full approach before touching anything
  • •Dedicated plan viewer lets you review and revisit the strategy
  • •Best for complex refactors requiring careful architecture

Local vs. Remote Development

Code mode supports both local development (Claude works directly with files on your machine) and remote development (connect a GitHub repository and Claude works in a cloud environment). Remote sessions continue even if you close the app.

Key Takeaways

  • 01Chat is best for quick exchanges, brainstorming, and iterative drafting.
  • 02Cowork handles sustained research, analysis, and producing finished deliverables from multiple sources.
  • 03Code provides a full development environment with Ask, Code, and Plan interaction modes.
  • 04Both Cowork and Code run on Claude Code under the hood — local to your machine and capable of long-running tasks.