Claude desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux
How to install and get the most from the Claude desktop app in 2026 - system requirements, local connectors and MCP servers, keyboard shortcuts, and fixes for common problems.
The Claude desktop app is a native client for macOS 11 or later, Windows 10 or later, and Linux in beta on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS+ or Debian 12+. It runs the same chat as claude.ai, and adds three things the browser cannot do: local MCP servers and desktop extensions, a system-wide launcher, and direct access to files on your own machine.
It is free to install on every plan. Chat works on Free; the Claude Code and Cowork tabs require Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. Install links are on claude.com/download and in Anthropic's install guide; every route is collected on our Claude download hub.
#Claude Desktop at a glance, August 2026
- macOS
- macOS 11 or later, universal build (Apple Silicon and Intel)
- Windows
- Windows 10 or later, separate x64 and ARM64 installers
- Linux
- Beta - Ubuntu 22.04 LTS+ or Debian 12+, x64 or arm64
- Price
- Free to install; chat on all plans
- Requires a paid plan
- Claude Code tab, Cowork tab, computer use, Dispatch
- Unique to desktop
- Local MCP servers, desktop extensions, local scheduled tasks
#How do I install the Claude desktop app?
Download the installer for your operating system from claude.com/download, run it, then sign in. There is no licence key and no separate desktop purchase - the app reads your plan from your account. If sign-in gives you trouble, the passwordless flow is explained on our how to log in to Claude page.
#macOS
Anthropic ships a universal DMG covering both Apple Silicon and Intel, so there is no architecture choice to get wrong. Open it, drag Claude to Applications, launch. macOS will ask for microphone access for dictation, and accessibility permissions if you enable computer use; both are revocable in System Settings later.
#Windows
Windows has two installers and they are not interchangeable: an x64 build for Intel and AMD machines, and an ARM64 build for Snapdragon-based PCs. The wrong one either refuses to launch or runs worse under emulation. Check Settings → System → About → System type if unsure.
#Linux (beta)
Linux support is explicitly a beta. The recommended install is the signed apt repository: add Anthropic's downloads.claude.ai/claude-desktop key, then install through your package manager.
sudo apt install claude-desktopA standalone .deb also works but does not enrol you in package updates. Two limitations matter on Linux: computer use and voice dictation are unavailable, and Cowork requires hardware virtualization (KVM), QEMU packages and roughly 25 GB of free disk. If those matter, use macOS or Windows.
#What does the desktop app do that the web app does not?
Three capabilities are genuinely desktop-only, and they are the reason to install rather than pin a browser tab.
#Local MCP servers
Launch MCP servers as local processes on your own machine - reading a directory, querying a local database, driving a local tool. Web connectors are remote-only.
#A system-wide launcher
A global shortcut opens a Claude input from any application, so you can ask a question without switching windows or finding a tab.
#Local file and task work
Claude Code Desktop adds visual diffs and side-by-side sessions, and desktop scheduled tasks run on your machine rather than in the cloud.
Everything else - Projects, Memory, Artifacts, Research, chat search, voice mode, remote connectors - is identical across web and desktop and syncs through your account. A conversation started in the desktop app is the same conversation on the web app and on iPhone a minute later.
#Claude desktop vs the web app: which should you use?
| Capability | Desktop app | Web app (claude.ai) |
|---|---|---|
| Chat, Projects, Artifacts, Memory | Yes | Yes |
| Remote connectors (Notion, GitHub, Stripe, Slack…) | Yes | Yes |
| Local MCP servers and desktop extensions | Yes | No |
| Global launcher shortcut | Yes | No |
| Claude Code with visual diffs and side-by-side sessions | Yes, paid plans | Research preview at claude.ai/code |
| Scheduled tasks that run on your own machine | Yes | No - cloud Routines instead |
| Dispatch (send a task from mobile to your desktop) | Yes, Pro and Max only | No |
| Computer use | Pro and Max; not on Linux | No |
| Voice dictation | Yes; not on Linux | Yes |
| Cowork | macOS and Windows; Linux needs KVM + ~25 GB | Yes |
| Works on a locked-down or borrowed machine | No - needs install rights | Yes |
| Gets new features first | Usually slightly later | Usually first |
The honest summary: if you will never connect Claude to something on your own computer, the web app is enough. If you want Claude reading a local repository, database or folder, the desktop app is the only client that can.
#How do I add an MCP server or connector in the desktop app?
Connectors are how Claude reaches your other tools, built on the Model Context Protocol - an open standard originally from Anthropic, donated to the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation in December 2025. There are two routes, and choosing correctly saves an hour.
#Route 1 - a directory connector (no configuration)
- Open Settings → Connectors, or browse the directory at claude.ai/connectors.
- Find the service - Anthropic documents Notion, Asana, Sentry, Stripe, HubSpot, GitHub, Airtable, Zoom, Linear, Slack, Google Drive, Gmail and Microsoft 365 among more than a hundred listed publicly.
- Click Connect and complete the OAuth flow in the browser window that opens.
- Back in a chat, open the tools menu and confirm the connector's tools are listed. If they are not, the auth did not complete - disconnect and retry.
On the free plan you get one custom connector; paid plans lift that limit. Directory connectors themselves are available to all users.
#Route 2 - a local MCP server (desktop only)
This is the part the browser cannot do. A local server runs as a process on your machine and speaks to Claude over stdio, so it can reach local files and local network services without exposing anything to the internet. Desktop extensions package the same idea for install from inside the app.
If you are also using Claude Code, the same servers are registered from the terminal, and the syntax is worth knowing because it documents the three transports MCP supports:
claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>
claude mcp add --transport sse <name> <url>
claude mcp add <name> -- <command> [args...] # stdio, i.e. a local process
claude mcp list # health checkScopes matter: local is the default and stays on your machine, --scope project writes a shared .mcp.json your team can commit, and --scope user applies across all your projects. A deeper walkthrough is on our MCP and Claude agents page; for visual workflow assembly, see Claude in n8n.
A connector grants Claude the same access you have: a Google Drive connector reads every document you can read, and a database MCP server runs every query your credentials permit. Prefer read-only scopes, and review the connector list periodically - Team and Enterprise admins can restrict this centrally, as covered on the Claude Enterprise page.
#Keyboard shortcuts and the global launcher
The headline shortcut is the global launcher: a system-wide key combination that opens a Claude input over whatever you are doing, takes your question and gets out of the way. It is configurable, and on a machine with other launcher tools you will probably need to change it to avoid a clash.
Beyond that the app follows platform conventions for new chat, search, settings and window management. The authoritative key map is the one inside the app - Anthropic changes it between releases and maintains no public reference page for it. Read the shortcuts list in Settings rather than trusting any third-party table, including one here; a wrong shortcut table is worse than none.
#Fixing common Claude desktop problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| App will not launch on Windows | Wrong architecture installer | Check System type in Settings → About and reinstall the matching x64 or ARM64 build. |
| Stuck at the sign-in screen | Magic link opened on a different device | Open the link on the same machine, or use the verification code flow. See login help. |
| Claude Code or Cowork tab missing | Free plan | Both require Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. Compare tiers on the pricing page. |
| Connector shows as connected but has no tools | OAuth flow did not finish | Disconnect, reconnect, and finish the browser step before returning to the app. |
| Local MCP server never appears | Command path or arguments wrong | Run the server command manually in a terminal first, then check claude mcp list. |
| No dictation or computer use on Linux | Working as designed | Both are unavailable in the Linux beta; use macOS or Windows. |
| Cowork fails to start on Linux | Virtualization not available | Cowork needs KVM, QEMU packages and roughly 25 GB free disk. |
| Linux app never updates | Installed from a standalone .deb | Switch to the signed apt repository so updates arrive with your other packages. |
| Hit a usage limit sooner than expected | Shared allocation | Chat, Claude Code, Cowork, Design and Excel share one pool. See the feature matrix. |
If the problem is Claude Code rather than the app around it, run claude doctor first: it prints a read-only diagnostic of your installation, settings and configuration files. Model-level oddities such as a 400 error when setting temperature are not desktop bugs at all - they are the parameter changes documented on the Opus 5 and Sonnet 5 pages.
#Frequently asked questions
Is the Claude desktop app free?
Yes, the app itself costs nothing on every plan and chat works on the free tier. Two tabs inside it are gated: Claude Code and Cowork both require a paid subscription - Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. Computer use and Dispatch are further limited to Pro and Max.
Does Claude have a desktop app for Linux?
Yes, in beta, for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later and Debian 12 or later on x64 or arm64. Install it from Anthropic's signed apt repository so it stays updated. Computer use and voice dictation are unavailable on Linux, and Cowork requires KVM virtualization plus about 25 GB of free disk.
What can the desktop app do that claude.ai cannot?
Run MCP servers as local processes on your own machine, install desktop extensions, open a global launcher shortcut from any app, and run scheduled tasks locally rather than in the cloud. Claude Code in the desktop app also adds visual diffs and side-by-side sessions.
Do desktop and web share the same conversations?
Yes. Chats, Projects, Memory and settings live with your account, not with the client, so anything started on desktop continues on the web app or the mobile apps. Sign in everywhere with the same email or Google account and no export step is needed.
Is there a Claude desktop app for ChromeOS?
No native one. Chromebooks that support Google Play run the Android app instead, which Anthropic lists as ChromeOS-compatible. The web app at claude.ai also works normally in the Chrome browser. Details are on our Android app page.
Where do I download the Claude desktop app safely?
Only from claude.com/download, Anthropic's support install guide, or the signed Linux repositories at downloads.claude.ai. Desktop installers hosted on download aggregators are not from Anthropic. This site links out and hosts no binaries of any kind.
Operating-system requirements, Linux limitations and plan gating checked on 21 August 2026 against Anthropic's Claude Desktop install guide and code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop-linux. Connector behaviour is documented at support.claude.com. Re-check before relying on any of it.