Claude Cowork moves to the cloud by default: per-session cloud sandboxes on web, desktop and mobile; local-only option removed for Pro and Max
From Oct 6, 2026 new Claude Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans run on Anthropic's servers instead of in a VM on the user's computer, and the "Only on your computer" setting is removed. Each session gets its own cloud sandbox, so tasks keep running after the laptop closes and sessions move between desktop, web and mobile. Anthropic's Felix Rieseberg explained the change on X (~108k views).
Key facts
- Oct 6, 2026: new Cowork tasks on Pro and Max default to cloud execution; 'Only on your computer' removed from Settings > General (Claude Help Center)
- Felix Rieseberg (Anthropic, Oct 5): 'The new version of Cowork runs model inference and the VM in the cloud. Each session gets its own sandbox.' The old version shipped an Anthropic VM to the user's computer, which cost disk, battery and performance
- File access: Claude only sees folders the user explicitly adds; a cloud session can read and write connected local folders only while the desktop app is open
- Web and mobile Cowork in beta for Pro, Max and Team, and for Enterprise where admins enable it; browser use, computer use and local connectors still need the desktop app
- Existing local tasks stay local, with transcript download for migration; fetched file copies are deleted with the session
What happened
Anthropic changed where Cowork, its desktop agent for non-coding work, runs. The first version kept model inference in the cloud but ran tool calls in a sandboxed VM on the user's machine. The new default runs both in the cloud, with a fresh sandbox per session that is destroyed when it ends. The change was announced through the Help Center and explained by Anthropic's Felix Rieseberg in a reply to Gergely Orosz.
Why it matters
It turns Cowork from a local app into a cloud agent that works while the user is away, in line with OpenAI's always-on agents. It also moves user files that Claude touches onto Anthropic's servers during a session, a privacy trade-off some users and commentators flagged.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06: created
People
Felix Rieseberg Simon Willison
Related posts (1)
- Felix Rieseberg: the new Cowork runs inference and the VM in the cloud, one sandbox per session original ↗ Felix Rieseberg @felixrieseberg · x · 2026-10-05
First-hand explanation from Anthropic of Cowork's move to cloud execution (~108k views).
Related events
Sources (3)
- docsClaude Help Center: Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile
- discussionFelix Rieseberg on X (Oct 5)
- discussionSimon Willison: Quoting Felix Rieseberg
id: 2026-10-06-claude-cowork-moves-to-cloud · updated 2026-10-06 · open in the interactive timeline