Computer use (desktop control)
Computer use lets Claude take screenshots of the person's desktop and control it with mouse clicks, keyboard input, and scrolling, through the Claude desktop app. Its tools are named mcp__computer-use__* (for example request_access, screenshot) when the session runs inside the desktop app, and mcp__remote-devices__computer_* (for example computer_request_access, computer_screenshot) when the session runs in the cloud and is linked to the person's computer. If they are deferred behind ToolSearch, Claude loads them all in one call (query "computer", a generous max_results such as 40) rather than one by one.
Getting linked from a chat
What Claude does first depends on which tools are present (loaded or deferred):
- Computer-use tools are present. The conversation is already linked; Claude goes straight to the access flow below.
- No computer-use tools, but an
enable__mcp__remote-devices__computer tool is present. The conversation is not linked to the person's computer yet. Claude calls that tool once, before any other step of the task, with the task in its task field, and mentions in one line that Computer use has to be turned on in the Claude desktop app (Settings → Desktop app → Computer use; it is off by default); the person may be asked to confirm which computer to use. If the result says the computer was not linked (for example the person chose not to allow it, the Claude desktop app is not set up on any of their computers, or their account cannot use it), Claude relays the reason in one line, continues with what it can do in the conversation, and goes by what the result says about trying again. Once the call goes through, Claude looks for the mcp__remote-devices__computer_* tools and starts with the access flow below; there is no second enable step. It does not tell the person their computer is connected until a computer_* call has succeeded, and if no computer_* tools appeared, or they answer that computer use is turned off, the last section applies.
- Neither. Computer use is not available in this conversation as it stands, and Claude says so plainly without diagnosing why: in general Claude can use apps on a computer where the Claude desktop app is installed and signed in with Computer use turned on, and on claude.ai in a web browser, if the composer's + menu offers Devices, the person can pick their computer there before sending a new message. If other
mcp__remote-devices__ tools are present (an enable__ tool for the browser alone does not count), the last section applies instead. Claude does not pretend to act.
Separate filesystems
Computer-use actions (clicks, typing, clipboard writes) happen on the person's real computer, a different system from wherever Claude's own shell and files are, when it has them. Files Claude creates on its side do not exist on the person's machine, so a command or file path Claude puts in the person's clipboard or types into one of their apps must exist on their computer; and a path the person mentions (~/Documents/..., C:\Users...) is on their computer, not in Claude's working directory.
Pick the right tool for the app
Each tier trades speed and precision against coverage:
- Dedicated connector for the app. If the task is in an app that has its own MCP connector (Slack, Gmail, Calendar, Linear, etc.) and it is connected, Claude uses it. API-backed tools are fast and precise.
- A browser (Claude in Chrome or the built-in browser; the
chrome-browser and built-in-browser skills describe their tools). If the target is a web app with no dedicated connector, Claude uses the browser tools: DOM-aware, much faster than clicking pixels. Computer use cannot operate web browsers (browser windows are view-only to it, for safety), so if no browser is connected Claude asks the person to set one up rather than falling through to computer use.
- Computer use, for native desktop apps (Maps, Notes, Finder, Photos, System Settings, any third-party native app) and cross-app workflows. Computer use is the right tool here; Claude does not decline a native-app task just because there is no dedicated connector for it.
This is about what is available, not error handling: if a connector tool errors, Claude debugs or reports it rather than silently retrying through a slower tier.
Look before asserting
If the person asks about app state (what is open, what is connected, what an app can do), Claude takes a screenshot and checks before answering, rather than answering from memory; the person's setup or app version may differ from what Claude expects. A claim that an app does not support an action should be grounded in what Claude just saw on screen, not general knowledge; list_granted_applications or a fresh screenshot is cheaper than a wrong assertion about what is running. Likewise Claude does not describe the screen or call the computer linked until a computer-use call has succeeded.
Access flow
Before any computer-use action Claude must request access to the applications it needs; the person approves them explicitly, and Claude may need to ask again mid-task if it discovers it needs another application. With the mcp__computer-use__* tools that is one request_access call listing the applications. With the mcp__remote-devices__computer_* tools it is two calls: computer_resolve_access with the app names, then computer_request_access with the entries it returned, verbatim, and a one-sentence reason that explains the task. Claude waits for the person's answer rather than working around it.
When computer use is off or out of reach
With the mcp__remote-devices__computer_* tools, computer use works only while the Claude desktop app is open and online on the person's computer with Computer use turned on in its settings, where it is off by default. Claude matches what it sees to one of these and never claims an action happened:
mcp__remote-devices__ tools are present but no computer_* tools among them, or a computer_* call answers that computer use is turned off or not turned on yet. The setting is most likely off. If the reply says to call computer_request_access with only a reason to show the person a prompt, Claude does that once and goes by its result. Either way Claude tells the person to turn on Computer use in the Claude desktop app (Settings → Desktop app → Computer use) with the app up to date and open, tries again once they say it is on (the tools can take a few minutes to appear), and if they still do not appear says so and suggests a new chat.- A call answers that computer use is not available or not supported on this device, or not allowed for the organization. Claude relays that plainly and does not promise a setting will fix it.
- The calls cannot reach the desktop app at all (connection errors or no response). Claude says the computer looks closed, asleep or offline, and continues with what it can do here.
1---2name: computer-use3description: Read this skill before the first step of any request to do something in an app on the person's own computer (Notes, Finder, System Settings, any desktop app), to look at their screen, or for "computer use". Computer use (desktop control) lets Claude take screenshots of the person's desktop and control it with clicks, typing and scrolling through the Claude desktop app; its tools are named mcp__computer-use__* when the session runs in the desktop app and mcp__remote-devices__computer_* when a cloud session is linked to the person's computer; before a conversation is linked there may be no such tools, only an enable__mcp__remote-devices__computer tool, which links it. It covers getting linked, picking the right tool, the access flow, and what to do when computer use is off or out of reach. It is not for websites, which go through Claude in Chrome or the built-in browser and their own skills.4license: Proprietary. LICENSE.txt has complete terms5---67# Computer use (desktop control)89Computer use lets Claude take screenshots of the person's desktop and control it with mouse clicks, keyboard input, and scrolling, through the Claude desktop app. Its tools are named `mcp__computer-use__*` (for example `request_access`, `screenshot`) when the session runs inside the desktop app, and `mcp__remote-devices__computer_*` (for example `computer_request_access`, `computer_screenshot`) when the session runs in the cloud and is linked to the person's computer. If they are deferred behind ToolSearch, Claude loads them all in one call (query "computer", a generous max_results such as 40) rather than one by one.1011## Getting linked from a chat1213What Claude does first depends on which tools are present (loaded or deferred):14151. **Computer-use tools are present.** The conversation is already linked; Claude goes straight to the access flow below.162. **No computer-use tools, but an `enable__mcp__remote-devices__computer` tool is present.** The conversation is not linked to the person's computer yet. Claude calls that tool once, before any other step of the task, with the task in its `task` field, and mentions in one line that Computer use has to be turned on in the Claude desktop app (Settings → Desktop app → Computer use; it is off by default); the person may be asked to confirm which computer to use. If the result says the computer was not linked (for example the person chose not to allow it, the Claude desktop app is not set up on any of their computers, or their account cannot use it), Claude relays the reason in one line, continues with what it can do in the conversation, and goes by what the result says about trying again. Once the call goes through, Claude looks for the `mcp__remote-devices__computer_*` tools and starts with the access flow below; there is no second enable step. It does not tell the person their computer is connected until a `computer_*` call has succeeded, and if no `computer_*` tools appeared, or they answer that computer use is turned off, the last section applies.173. **Neither.** Computer use is not available in this conversation as it stands, and Claude says so plainly without diagnosing why: in general Claude can use apps on a computer where the Claude desktop app is installed and signed in with Computer use turned on, and on claude.ai in a web browser, if the composer's + menu offers Devices, the person can pick their computer there before sending a new message. If other `mcp__remote-devices__` tools are present (an `enable__` tool for the browser alone does not count), the last section applies instead. Claude does not pretend to act.1819## Separate filesystems2021Computer-use actions (clicks, typing, clipboard writes) happen on the person's real computer, a different system from wherever Claude's own shell and files are, when it has them. Files Claude creates on its side do not exist on the person's machine, so a command or file path Claude puts in the person's clipboard or types into one of their apps must exist on their computer; and a path the person mentions (~/Documents/..., C:\Users\...) is on their computer, not in Claude's working directory.2223## Pick the right tool for the app2425Each tier trades speed and precision against coverage:26271. **Dedicated connector for the app.** If the task is in an app that has its own MCP connector (Slack, Gmail, Calendar, Linear, etc.) and it is connected, Claude uses it. API-backed tools are fast and precise.282. **A browser** (Claude in Chrome or the built-in browser; the `chrome-browser` and `built-in-browser` skills describe their tools). If the target is a web app with no dedicated connector, Claude uses the browser tools: DOM-aware, much faster than clicking pixels. Computer use cannot operate web browsers (browser windows are view-only to it, for safety), so if no browser is connected Claude asks the person to set one up rather than falling through to computer use.293. **Computer use**, for native desktop apps (Maps, Notes, Finder, Photos, System Settings, any third-party native app) and cross-app workflows. Computer use is the right tool here; Claude does not decline a native-app task just because there is no dedicated connector for it.3031This is about what is available, not error handling: if a connector tool errors, Claude debugs or reports it rather than silently retrying through a slower tier.3233## Look before asserting3435If the person asks about app state (what is open, what is connected, what an app can do), Claude takes a screenshot and checks before answering, rather than answering from memory; the person's setup or app version may differ from what Claude expects. A claim that an app does not support an action should be grounded in what Claude just saw on screen, not general knowledge; `list_granted_applications` or a fresh `screenshot` is cheaper than a wrong assertion about what is running. Likewise Claude does not describe the screen or call the computer linked until a computer-use call has succeeded.3637## Access flow3839Before any computer-use action Claude must request access to the applications it needs; the person approves them explicitly, and Claude may need to ask again mid-task if it discovers it needs another application. With the `mcp__computer-use__*` tools that is one `request_access` call listing the applications. With the `mcp__remote-devices__computer_*` tools it is two calls: `computer_resolve_access` with the app names, then `computer_request_access` with the entries it returned, verbatim, and a one-sentence reason that explains the task. Claude waits for the person's answer rather than working around it.4041## When computer use is off or out of reach4243With the `mcp__remote-devices__computer_*` tools, computer use works only while the Claude desktop app is open and online on the person's computer with Computer use turned on in its settings, where it is off by default. Claude matches what it sees to one of these and never claims an action happened:4445- **`mcp__remote-devices__` tools are present but no `computer_*` tools among them, or a `computer_*` call answers that computer use is turned off or not turned on yet.** The setting is most likely off. If the reply says to call `computer_request_access` with only a reason to show the person a prompt, Claude does that once and goes by its result. Either way Claude tells the person to turn on Computer use in the Claude desktop app (Settings → Desktop app → Computer use) with the app up to date and open, tries again once they say it is on (the tools can take a few minutes to appear), and if they still do not appear says so and suggests a new chat.46- **A call answers that computer use is not available or not supported on this device, or not allowed for the organization.** Claude relays that plainly and does not promise a setting will fix it.47- **The calls cannot reach the desktop app at all (connection errors or no response).** Claude says the computer looks closed, asleep or offline, and continues with what it can do here.
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