What the Claude Code Desktop App Actually Is
The Claude desktop app is a single window with three tabs: Chat for regular conversations, Cowork for longer background tasks and Dispatch, and Code for software builds. The Code tab is Claude Code itself, running inside a graphical app instead of a command line. You download it, sign in, click Code, and pick a project folder. There is no separate CLI install step and no requirement to touch a terminal to get started.
Inside the Code tab, every conversation is a session. A session has its own chat history, its own project folder, and its own set of code changes, completely separate from any other session you have running. The sidebar lists every session you have open, which is what lets you run more than one build at the same time without them interfering with each other.
What You Get in the Code Tab Without a Terminal
The Code tab is not a stripped-down version of Claude Code. It carries the same agent, with a set of panes built around reviewing and verifying work visually instead of reading raw output.
- Diff view: every file Claude changes shows up as a diff stat like +12 -1. Click it to open a full file-by-file diff, and click any line to leave a comment Claude reads and acts on.
- Browser pane: Claude can start your dev server, open it in this pane, click through it, fill forms, and check its own work with screenshots, the same way a human tester would.
- Connectors: link GitHub, Slack, or Linear so Claude can open a pull request or check a ticket without you switching windows.
- Parallel sessions: run one session per project, or several sessions on the same project, side by side in the sidebar.
- Side chats: ask a quick question that uses the current session's context without derailing the build it is mid-way through.
Permission Modes: How Much Autonomy You Hand Claude
The mode selector next to the send button controls how much Claude does before it stops and asks you. Start on Manual for a new project, and move up once you trust the setup.
Claude Code desktop permission modes
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Manual | Claude asks before editing files or running commands. You see a diff and accept or reject each change. The recommended starting point. |
| Accept edits | Claude auto-accepts file edits and common filesystem commands, but still asks before other terminal commands. |
| Plan | Claude reads and explores, then proposes a plan without touching your source code, for when you want to review the approach first. |
| Auto | Claude executes with background safety checks that verify alignment with your request, cutting down on prompts while keeping oversight. |
| Bypass permissions | Claude runs without prompts at all. Only use this in a sandboxed container or VM, never on a real client machine. |
Setting Up Your First Session
Before you send your first message, the prompt area asks you to set four things, all without a command line in sight.
- Environment - Local for your own machine, Cloud for a remote session, SSH for a machine you manage, or WSL on Windows.
- Project folder - the repository Claude works in for this session.
- Model - pick from the dropdown next to the send button, and change it mid-session if you need to.
- Permission mode - see the table above. You can change this mid-session too.
Type your task and hit Enter. That is the entire setup. Each session then tracks its own context and its own changes, independent of every other session you have open.
The CCC Three-Tab Split
This is how we teach members to actually use the three tabs together instead of living in just one. Use Chat to scope the ask before you commit a project folder to it - talk through what you actually want built, the way you would talk to a contractor before signing anything. Use Code for the real build session, with a project folder attached and the diff view open, so every change is something you can see and approve. Use Cowork and Dispatch for the long-running or scheduled work you do not want to babysit, including tasks you kick off from your phone when you are away from your desk.
The mistake we see most is builders trying to do everything in Chat because that is the tab that feels most familiar from using Claude generally. Chat has no project folder and no diff view, so nothing you do there is a tracked, reviewable build. The Code tab is where the actual work should happen.
Run This Checklist Before Your First Desktop Build
- Confirm your plan - Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise - since the desktop app needs one of those to use the Code tab.
- On Windows, install Git for Windows before your first Code session, or the tab will not open.
- Start your first real project on Manual mode so you can see exactly what Claude touches before you loosen the leash.
- Set a project folder before you start typing tasks - a session with no folder attached has nothing to build against.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know the terminal to use Claude Code?
No. The Claude desktop app's Code tab runs full Claude Code sessions with a diff viewer, a browser pane, and file editor, and you never have to open a terminal to start a build. A terminal pane is available inside the app if you want it, but it is optional, not required.
What is the difference between the Code tab and the Cowork tab?
The Code tab is for active software builds attached to a project folder, with a diff view and browser pane for review. Cowork is for longer background agentic work and Dispatch, including tasks you send from your phone, that you do not need to watch in real time.
What subscription do I need for the desktop app?
A Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan. The app itself is free to download for macOS, Windows, or Linux (beta), but the Code tab needs one of those plans to run sessions.
Can I use the same settings between the desktop app and the CLI?
Yes. The desktop app reads the same settings files as the terminal-based CLI, so permission modes, output styles, and project configuration carry over either way you work.
Last reviewed by David Iya on August 11, 2026
