Requirements & Setup

~12 min · dispatch, setup, iphone, ipad, android

Level 0🌱 Novice

0 XP0/70 lessons0/11 achievements

0/120 XP to next level120 XP to go0% complete

Mac stays awake; phone gets the remote

Dispatch is a Claude Desktop feature plus a Claude mobile app companion. The Mac runs Cowork in the background; the mobile app authenticates against the same Anthropic account; tasks travel via Anthropic's coordination layer (the actual code never does — see the security lesson).

The four prerequisites: Anthropic Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise subscription, Claude Desktop on macOS 13+ or Windows 10/11, the Claude mobile app on iOS 16+ or Android 12+, and your Mac configured to stay awake or wake on schedule (Sleep settings → Power Adapter → "Prevent automatic sleeping when display is off"). Without that wake config, Dispatch tasks queue silently while your Mac dozes.

Setup flow: enable Dispatch in Claude Desktop → designate the working folder (same idea as Cowork) → grant pre-authorized permissions (file paths, app list, network) → log into the mobile app on the same Anthropic account → confirm the pairing.

Code

macOS Power settings for Dispatch·text

System Settings → Battery → Power Adapter
  ☑ Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when display is off
  ☑ Wake for network access

Optional: launchd to keep Cowork running
  ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.anthropic.cowork.daemon.plist
  (Anthropic's installer typically handles this)

Verify Mac stays reachable:
  pmset -g          # check Sleep == 0 on AC
  caffeinate -i &   # belt-and-suspenders during testing

Pre-authorized scope (set once, reuse always)·text

Claude Desktop → Settings → Dispatch

Working folder:    ~/DispatchWork
Allowed apps:      Safari, Finder, TextEdit, Preview
Allowed paths:     ~/Documents/Finance (read)
                   ~/Desktop          (write)
                   ~/DispatchWork     (read+write)
Network:           ☑ MCP connectors only
Forbidden:         ~/.ssh, ~/Library/Keychains, ~/Documents/Personal

External links

Exercise

Configure Dispatch end-to-end on your Mac and phone. Pay extra attention to the pre-authorized paths — list exactly what Dispatch can read, write, and run. Send a small test task. Confirm the notification path works.

Progress

Progress is local-only — sign in to sync across devices.

← PreviousWhat Dispatch Is, What It Isn't Next →Security Sandbox & Permissions

Spotted a bug or have feedback on this page?Report an Issue

Comments 0

🔔 Reply notifications (sign in)

No comments yet — be the first.