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Anthropic Merges Claude Cowork and Chat Into One Experience, Bringing Research, Files to Every Chat

Anthropic Merges Claude Cowork and Chat Into One Experience, Bringing Research, Files to Every Chat

Anthropic says Claude can respond to straightforward questions, while more involved requests will trigger Cowork's capabilities.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 17 September 2026 09:39 IST

Anthropic Merges Claude Cowork and Chat Into One Experience, Bringing Research, Files to Every Chat

Photo Credit: Anthropic

Anthropic says the new experience is rolling out gradually

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Highlights

Claude now automatically picks the right tools required for each request
The chatbot can connect with external apps like Google Drive and Slack
Advanced computer use features remain available on Pro and Max plans

Anthropic is merging its Claude Cowork and Chat experiences into a single conversation, the company announced on Wednesday. The move eliminates the need for users to choose between Chat and Cowork before starting a task. Instead, the AI chatbot can automatically detect the tools it requires to carry out the designated task based on the request. Anthropic said the unified experience can handle both simple questions as well as more complex tasks.

Claude Cowork and Chat Are Now One Experience

Rather than first deciding whether a task belongs in Chat or Cowork, users can describe the outcome they want. In a blog post, Anthropic said that Claude can respond to straightforward questions as usual, while more involved requests can trigger the tools and capabilities previously associated with Cowork.

Claude Discussion

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Citing an example, Anthropic said that users can ask Claude to analyse several interview notes, search the web for information, organise files or turn an analysis into a presentation. Claude can work through multiple steps, search the web, read files, run code and assemble the results without requiring users to manually break the task down.

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Meanwhile, tasks that are more complex will continue running in the cloud even after users close their laptop or leave the page. However, this does not include activities that require access to files or apps on a computer. Users can return to the conversation once a cloud-based task is complete and continue refining the result.

The new experience also allows the chatbot to access connected services during tasks. Apps such as Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft 365, and Slack can be connected to Claude, allowing it to retrieve information while carrying out a request.

Despite the change, Cowork's more advanced capabilities are being carried over. These include computer use in beta on Pro and Max plans, where Claude can interact with applications by clicking, typing, and navigating the screen. Users can also schedule recurring tasks.

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Anthropic says the new experience is rolling out gradually. Users who still see separate "Chat" and "Cowork" options have not received the update yet. Once an account moves to the new experience, the separate Chat and Cowork options cannot be restored. Existing Cowork tasks, projects, connectors, skills, artifacts, and files will carry over, as per the company.

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There are, however, some limitations at launch. For instance, GitHub imports and conversation branching are not supported, while Incognito chats will continue to use the previous experience. Search does not currently cover older Cowork tasks, and Dispatch is unavailable to new users.

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Further reading: Claude, Claude Cowork, Claude chatbot, AI

Shaurya Tomer

Email Shaurya Tomer

Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More