Domain 4 · Task Statement 4.3

Dispatch: Remote Task Control

TL;DR

Set up Dispatch via QR code pairing, understand the walkie-talkie architecture, manage single-thread task sessions, and recognise the host dependency that determines whether remote tasks succeed or fail.

What You Need to Know

Dispatch isn't a separate AI running on your phone. It's a remote control for the Claude instance running on your Mac. Think of it as a walkie-talkie: your brilliant assistant stays in the office (your computer) with all the filing cabinets, tools, and software. The walkie-talkie (the Claude mobile app) lets you send instructions and receive updates from wherever you are. All actual work — file access, Computer Use, Connector calls, Skill execution — happens on the host computer. Your phone is just the messenger.

This distinction matters because it determines every limitation Dispatch has. If the host computer is off, the walkie-talkie has no one to talk to. If the host's internet drops, instructions can't reach it. If the app is closed on the Mac, there's no assistant in the office to receive the message.

Setting up Dispatch: QR code pairing

Setup is straightforward:

Open Claude Desktop on your Mac and click the Dispatch tab in the left sidebar
A QR code appears on screen
Open the Claude mobile app on your phone and scan the QR code
Both devices confirm the pairing

This pairing goes through Anthropic's servers — the two devices don't communicate directly over local Wi-Fi. Both need active internet connections, but they can be on completely different networks. Your phone on mobile data and your Mac on home Wi-Fi work fine.

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Exam Trap: Not Local Wi-Fi

A common distractor states that Dispatch requires both devices to be on the same local Wi-Fi network. False. The devices communicate through Anthropic's servers over the internet. Your phone can be anywhere with an internet connection — commuting on mobile data, at a coffee shop on public Wi-Fi, or in another country entirely.

The QR pairing is a one-time setup. Subsequent sessions reconnect automatically as long as both devices are signed into the same Claude account.

Single-thread architecture

Dispatch maintains one persistent conversation thread between your phone and your computer. You can't run multiple parallel Dispatch threads or switch between separate task contexts. It's a single open phone line to your assistant — you discuss one thing at a time, but the assistant remembers everything from previous conversations in the thread.

This single-thread design has practical implications:

You can't run two tasks simultaneously via Dispatch
Each new message adds to the existing thread's context
Claude remembers prior instructions and results from the same thread
Long-running threads accumulate context, which means Claude maintains awareness of your earlier tasks

Host dependency: the number one failure point

Your computer must be:

Powered on — not shut down, not hibernating
Awake — not sleeping (screen doesn't need to be on, but the machine must be active)
Running Claude Desktop — the app must be open, not just installed

If any of these conditions fail, Dispatch commands from your phone have nowhere to execute. The task doesn't queue and wait — it simply fails.

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Prevent Sleep for Reliable Dispatch

Go to System Settings > Energy and enable "Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off" or use the "Keep computer awake" toggle in Cowork's Dispatch settings. This isn't optional if you plan to use Dispatch regularly — it's infrastructure.

This is the most common point of failure for new Dispatch users. They pair their devices successfully, walk away, and the Mac goes to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. The first Dispatch command fails, and they assume the feature is broken. It isn't broken — the host fell asleep.

What Dispatch can and can't do

Can do:

Send any task instruction to the host computer
Trigger file processing on the host's local files
Use installed Connectors (Gmail, Slack, Google Calendar, etc.)
Trigger Computer Use on the host's screen (if enabled)
Receive push notifications when tasks complete
Access the full Cowork capability set

Cannot do:

Run without the host computer being awake
Execute tasks in Anthropic's cloud
Run multiple parallel task threads
Launch applications reliably from a closed state (open apps before leaving)
Configure scheduled tasks (use the Desktop app's Scheduled page instead)

Plan availability

Dispatch is available exclusively on Pro and Max individual plans. Team and Enterprise plans don't currently support Dispatch. This means organisational rollouts can't use Dispatch for remote task management without individual Pro or Max subscriptions.

Push notifications

When Claude completes a task triggered via Dispatch, you receive a push notification on your phone. This is the designed workflow: send a task, pocket your phone, and get notified when results are ready. You don't need to stare at the Dispatch thread waiting for completion — the notification system handles that.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake

Pairing Dispatch, sending a task from your phone, and having the host Mac go to sleep before the task completes — causing a silent failure.

Instead: Before leaving your computer, configure it to stay awake: System Settings > Energy > 'Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off'. Treat this as non-negotiable infrastructure for Dispatch usage.

Common Mistake

Sending a Dispatch command to launch an application from scratch — like 'Open Keynote and create a presentation' — and finding that the app doesn't launch reliably.

Instead: Open the application you need before leaving your desk. Dispatch with Computer Use works more reliably within already-open, visible applications. Launching apps from a closed state via screen interaction is inconsistent.

Common Mistake

Trying to set up recurring scheduled tasks from the Dispatch mobile thread by typing /schedule.

Instead: Scheduled tasks must be configured from the Desktop app's Scheduled page or via /schedule in a desktop Cowork conversation. The Dispatch thread is for ad-hoc remote instructions, not for configuring recurring automations.

Sending a remote task

Before

Open my email and send a message to John.

After

Use the Gmail Connector to find the latest message from John Smith about the Project X update and summarise it in three bullet points.

Remote file retrieval

Before

Find that file from yesterday.

After

In my Downloads folder, find the CSV file with 'Q1_Sales' in the filename, pull the top 5 rows of data, and format them as a table.

Hands-On Activity

Set Up Dispatch and Complete a Remote Task

15 min

Pair your devices via QR code, configure the host for reliable operation, send a real task from your phone, and verify the results on your computer. This activity takes you through the complete Dispatch lifecycle.

What you will learn

Complete the QR code pairing between Claude Desktop and the mobile app
Configure the host computer to stay awake for reliable Dispatch operation
Send a real task from your phone and receive results via push notification
Verify task results by checking the output on the host computer

01
Verify you have the latest version of both the Claude Desktop app (Mac) and the Claude mobile app (iPhone or Android). Confirm your subscription is Pro or Max.
Why: Dispatch requires the latest app versions on both devices and a Pro or Max plan. Outdated apps may not show the Dispatch tab or may fail to pair.
Expected: Both apps updated to their latest versions, with your Pro or Max subscription confirmed in Settings.
02
On your Mac, open Claude Desktop and click the Dispatch tab in the left sidebar. A QR code will appear. On your phone, open the Claude mobile app and scan the QR code.
Why: The QR code pairing establishes the secure connection between your devices through Anthropic's servers. This is a one-time setup — subsequent sessions reconnect automatically.
Expected: After scanning, both devices confirm the pairing. The Dispatch tab on desktop shows 'Connected' and your phone shows the persistent Dispatch conversation thread.
03
On your Mac, enable the 'Keep computer awake' toggle in Dispatch settings and grant directory permissions for your Documents folder.
Why: These two settings prevent the most common Dispatch failures: the computer sleeping mid-task and Claude lacking permission to access files.
Expected: The 'Keep computer awake' toggle is on, and Documents appears in the list of approved directories.
04
Put your phone in your pocket, walk to another room, and from the Dispatch thread on your phone type: 'Search my Documents folder for any PDF files with "Budget" in the filename. List what you find and summarise the first one.'
Why: This tests the full Dispatch workflow: remote instruction from phone, local file access on the host, and result delivery back to your phone.
Expected: After a brief processing period, a push notification arrives on your phone. Opening the Dispatch thread shows the list of matching PDFs and a summary of the first one.
05
Return to your Mac and verify the results by checking the Documents folder manually to confirm Claude found the correct files.
Why: Trust but verify — especially during your first Dispatch sessions. Confirming accuracy builds confidence and helps you calibrate expectations for task complexity.
Expected: The files Claude listed match what you find in your Documents folder.

Practice Question

You are commuting to work and need a summary of a 50 MB CSV sales file stored on your home computer's Documents folder. What must be true for Dispatch to complete this task?

Sources

Assign tasks to Claude from anywhere in Cowork — Anthropic
Claude Dispatch: Control Cowork From Your Phone — FindSkill.ai
Claude Cowork Dispatch 101 — DataCamp
Put Claude to work on your computer — Anthropic