Anthropic Brings Background Computer Use to Claude Code and Cowork on Mac
Anthropic has enabled background computer use for Claude Code and Claude Cowork on macOS, available to Pro and Max subscribers. The feature lets Claude click, type, and open apps on a Mac without taking over the user's active cursor, following a similar launch by OpenAI's ChatGPT earlier in 2026.
Anthropic has upgraded Claude's computer use feature to run in the background on macOS, the company announced September 2, 2026. The capability is now live for Claude Code and Claude Cowork, available exclusively to Pro and Max subscribers.
Background computer use allows Claude to control a Mac—clicking, typing, and opening applications—without commandeering the user's active cursor. According to Anthropic, users can assign Claude a task on the desktop and continue working on something else while the agent operates independently in the background.
Computer use itself is not new for Claude; Anthropic has offered the capability on desktop previously. What's changed is that it no longer requires exclusive control of the user's mouse and keyboard to function, removing a major friction point for practical daily use.
Context: OpenAI got there first
OpenAI's Codex-turned-ChatGPT introduced background computer use on Mac earlier in 2026, according to 9to5Mac. Anthropic's rollout follows that precedent, bringing Claude's desktop agent capabilities in line with competing offerings from OpenAI.
The feature is currently restricted to macOS only, with no stated timeline for Windows or Linux support. Anthropic has not disclosed specific pricing changes tied to this feature—it is bundled into existing Pro and Max subscription tiers rather than sold separately.
Why background operation matters
AI-driven computer use tools have historically required users to hand over full control of their screen, making the agent's actions visually intrusive and effectively blocking any other work during a session. Running the agent in the background eliminates that tradeoff, allowing Claude to execute multi-step desktop tasks—file management, app navigation, form filling—while the user works in a separate window or application.
Anthropic has not published benchmark data or task-completion metrics for the background mode specifically, and details on reliability, error handling, or session length limits were not disclosed in the announcement.
What this means
This is a feature upgrade to an existing product, not a new model release—Claude's underlying model is unchanged. The significance lies in removing a usability barrier that made computer-use agents impractical for real multitasking. Anthropic is playing catch-up here: OpenAI already shipped background computer use on Mac earlier this year, and Anthropic's move signals that autonomous desktop control is becoming a baseline expectation for AI coding and productivity tools rather than a differentiating feature. Expect both companies to compete next on reliability and task scope rather than the basic ability to run in the background.
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