Claude's CoWork feature adds something genuinely useful: a persistent conversation thread that stays live across your desktop and phone. You can start a task at your desk, step away, then fire off follow-up instructions from your phone while Claude keeps working on your computer.
The practical pitch is simple. Your desktop runs the actual work (file access, local connectors, plugins) while your phone becomes a remote control. Come back to finished work instead of babysitting a session.
It is still a research preview, rolling out to Max plan users first and then Pro. You need the latest Claude Desktop and mobile apps, and your computer has to stay awake. The persistent context across sessions is what makes it feel different from just having Claude open on two screens.