Claude Orbit is Anthropic's AI mobile agent — currently in research preview — with two core capabilities: (1) a phone agent that taps, types, and navigates apps on your iPhone or Android just like a human, and (2) a proactive briefing assistant for Claude Cowork that auto-generates daily insights from Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Calendar, Drive, and Figma. Both are designed to keep professionals moving hands-free, on the go.
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Recent reporting on Claude's mobile and computer-use story (last 45 days).
May 4, 2026 — References to Orbit have surfaced in recent web and mobile builds. Independent reporting describes Orbit as a proactive briefing assistant for Claude Cowork that auto-generates insights from Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Calendar, Drive, and Figma — a complement to the mobile-agent capabilities documented in this guide.
April 9, 2026 — Cowork left research preview and shipped on macOS and Windows for all paid plans, with role-based access controls, group spend limits, expanded usage analytics, and OpenTelemetry support for enterprise admins.
April 2026 — Claude now lets Pro and Max subscribers use their phones to drive tasks on their computers — generate reports from local files, fill spreadsheets, or export pitch decks as PDFs — a research-preview pattern Orbit is expected to build on.
April 8, 2026 — Anthropic opened Claude Managed Agents in public beta, including Memory for Managed Agents: filesystem-based cross-session memory with API control, audit logs, and portable stores for long-running agents.
April 17, 2026 — Anthropic introduced Claude Design, a new product for quickly creating visuals — broadening the Claude family of work-focused surfaces beyond Cowork and Code.
April 2026 — Claude Opus 4.7 shipped at the same price as 4.6, with software-engineering gains, 3× higher image resolution, and a new ability to verify its own outputs before reporting back.
Where each Claude product fits in the cross-device automation stack.
| Capability | Claude Orbit | Claude Cowork | Claude Dispatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary surface | Mobile (iOS, Android) | Desktop (macOS, Windows) | Cross-device hand-off |
| Status | Research preview (signals May 4, 2026) | Generally available (April 9, 2026) | Available; expanded in Cowork & Code April 2026 |
| Headline use | Drive phone apps; proactive briefings | Operate desktop apps and files | Start a task on phone, finish on desktop |
| Plans | Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise (expected) | All paid plans | All paid plans |
| Connected sources | Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Calendar, Drive, Figma (reported) | MCP connectors incl. Zoom | Inherits Cowork & Code |
| Enterprise controls | TBD; expected to inherit Cowork RBAC | RBAC, group spend limits, OpenTelemetry, analytics | Inherits Cowork admin console |
| Best for | Mobile-first delegation & ambient briefings | Knowledge work on a desktop | Continuity across devices |
Claude Orbit extends Claude's computer-use capability to mobile devices. Where Claude Cowork (now generally available on macOS and Windows as of April 9, 2026) lets Claude operate your desktop, Orbit goes further — acting directly from your phone.
Claude can tap, type, and navigate apps on your iPhone or Android just like you would — without needing a desktop computer.
Delegate phone calls to Claude. It can call ahead to confirm reservations, follow up on orders, or handle routine check-ins on your behalf.
Claude can draft and send SMS, WhatsApp, or iMessage threads based on your instructions — keeping your contacts in the loop while you focus.
Queue up tasks from your desktop via Claude Dispatch and have Orbit execute them on mobile — a true mobile-to-desktop workflow loop.
Getting Claude Orbit up and running takes just a few minutes. Here's the setup flow once the feature launches.
Sign in with your existing Claude Pro or Team account. Orbit will be available as an add-on capability once you're enrolled in the research preview.
Download the Claude Orbit companion app on iOS or Android. This grants Claude the device permissions it needs to act on your behalf.
Choose exactly which apps Claude can access — contacts, messages, phone, calendar — and set time-of-day restrictions to keep Claude in bounds.
Type or speak a task in natural language. Claude Orbit interprets your intent and carries it out, then reports back with a summary of what it did.
From quick errands to multi-step workflows, Orbit handles the mobile tasks that eat up your day.
Ask Claude to find a free slot, text a contact to coordinate, and add the event to your calendar — all in one instruction.
Claude can place orders in your preferred apps, monitor delivery status, and notify you when something changes.
Stop forgetting to reply. Give Claude a list of people to follow up with and let it handle the back-and-forth.
Claude scans your notifications and surfaces only what's genuinely urgent — the rest gets handled or dismissed.
Claude Orbit is designed to work on modern mobile hardware. Here's what you'll need when it launches.
Orbit is a powerful capability, and Anthropic is approaching it carefully. Here's how safety is handled.
You control exactly which apps, contacts, and device features Claude can access. Permissions can be revoked at any time.
Every action Claude takes is logged in plain language. Review, audit, or undo at any time from the activity feed.
One tap pauses all Orbit activity instantly. Claude will always ask before taking irreversible actions like sending messages or making purchases.
Orbit processes instructions through Anthropic's secure infrastructure. Sensitive content like passwords or payment info is never stored or read.
Everything you need to know about Claude Orbit.
Where the news and capability claims on this page come from. External links open in a new tab.
This is an independent community guide. Anthropic, Claude®, Cowork, Dispatch, Code, and Design are trademarks of their respective owners. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic, PBC.