Anthropic shipped Dispatch as a research preview in Claude Cowork on March 17, 2026 — a feature that creates a persistent conversation thread between the Claude mobile app and Claude Desktop on your computer.
The workflow is simple: tap Dispatch in the mobile app, write your prompt, hit send, and Claude picks it up on your desktop, opens a Cowork session, and starts working. You can leave, run errands, and come back to finished work.
A key distinction from cloud-based AI: execution happens in a local sandboxed environment. Your files never leave your computer, processing is local, and no sensitive data is sent to Anthropic's servers. The AI works directly with your local files, applications, and tools.
Dispatch maintains conversation context across sessions — users don't need to restart from scratch each time. If you previously asked Claude to create a draft, you can return later and continue from the same point with full context retained.
The feature represents a shift from AI as a chat interface to AI as a persistent coworker. Instead of sitting at your desk watching Claude work, you can assign tasks remotely and review results when convenient.
Early adopters report using Dispatch for tasks like organizing project files, preparing meeting materials, running code analysis, and drafting documents — all completed while they're away from their desks.