Claude Duet is Anthropic’s new proactive agent app, and it’s open as a research preview for Pro and Max subscribers in the US. Instead of waiting for you to type a prompt, it checks your connected apps, flags what needs attention, and keeps working after you close the app.
Access is rolling out in waves through a waitlist, so you may not see it today.
- Announced October 21, 2026, as a research preview
- Available to Pro and Max subscribers in the US, via waitlist
- Runs on iOS, Android and the web for invited users
- No extra charge, but usage counts toward your plan limits
- Not yet on Team or Enterprise plans
That list is the short version. The details below matter most if you plan to hand it your inbox and calendar.
What makes Claude Duet different from regular Claude chat?
Regular chat is reactive: you ask, Claude answers. Duet flips that. Anthropic says it “comes to you with what needs your attention, completes tasks you ask of it, keeps working when you step away, and checks with you before it acts on your behalf.”
Each morning it sends a short brief covering your email, calendar and other connected apps. During the day it watches those apps and only pings you when something needs a decision, according to 9to5Google.
Anthropic pitches it at professionals and small business owners with more on their plate than they can track. You can also hand it jobs like scheduling meetings or building dashboards, forecasts and prototypes.
How Claude Duet works day to day
You talk to it like a person, by typing or voice. One main thread keeps going, and you can open separate channels that share the same memory. 9to5Mac reports that it reuses your existing Claude memories, skills and connectors, and can search your past conversations.
It also runs on its own cloud computer, which is why work continues when your phone is locked. Bigger jobs, like research briefs, financial models or slide decks, land as editable files in a Make tab. A Tasks tab tracks ongoing work, and only you can mark a task complete.
If a site has no connector, Duet can use its own cloud browser. Plugins are supported too.
Claude Duet vs regular Claude: the practical differences
The table below puts the two side by side, using details from the reports linked above.
| What you care about | Regular Claude chat | Claude Duet |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts the work | You, with a prompt | Duet can raise items itself, plus tasks you assign |
| When it works | While you chat | Also while you are away, on its own cloud computer |
| Daily summary | None by default | Morning brief across connected apps |
| Where big outputs go | In the conversation | Editable files in a Make tab |
| Availability | Broad | US Pro and Max, waitlist, research preview |
The big shift is the second row. An agent that works while you sleep needs more trust than a chatbot that waits for you.
What Claude Duet asks before it acts
Anthropic says Duet is designed to ask before it sends messages, makes payments, signs documents or deletes anything. That is the right default for something wired into your email.
There are money features too. A Stripe integration can check for unpaid invoices and draft reminder messages, and Link and Shop Pay support purchases with your approval.
If you want a reminder of why those guardrails matter, see our post on the Meta Muse agent that shared a seller’s home address. Proactive agents are only as safe as their permission prompts.
The catch: plan limits and who is left out
Duet costs nothing extra, but its background work counts toward your normal usage limits. Anthropic warns you may hit them sooner than with chat alone. Anthropic says it runs on Claude Opus 5.5, so heavy use could eat into your allowance quickly. For context on that model’s pricing, see our look at Claude Opus 5.5 fast mode.
Outside the US, and on Team or Enterprise plans, you will have to wait. Anthropic says it plans to expand.
OpenAI has been moving the same way. Our piece on ChatGPT parallel agents for Pro users covers that side of the race.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude Duet free?
It has no separate price. It is included with Pro and Max, but its usage counts toward your plan limits, including background work.
How do I get access to Claude Duet?
You join the waitlist. Anthropic is letting people in waves, and it is limited to US Pro and Max subscribers for now.
Can Claude Duet send emails or pay for things on its own?
Anthropic says it is designed to check with you before sending messages, making payments, signing documents or deleting anything.
Does Claude Duet work on my phone?
Yes, for invited users. It is on iOS, Android and the web at claude.ai, according to 9to5Mac.
My take: join the waitlist, but start small. Connect your calendar first, watch the morning briefs for a week, and only then give it email and payment access. A proactive agent is useful when it earns trust step by step, and this one is still a research preview.
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