Anthropic merges Claude Cowork and regular chat into a single product

Anthropic has announced the integration of Claude Cowork features and the standard chat into one unified platform. Previously, users had to choose which mode to use, but now this selection is no longer necessary. The user simply describes the desired outcome, and Claude independently determines which tools are needed—from quick searches to generating reports that continue processing in the cloud even after the laptop is closed.

Account Updates

The transition to the new system is happening gradually, starting with Pro and Max plan users on the web version, desktop, and mobile devices. The update is not applied to everyone at once—even accounts with the same plan may receive changes at different times. If you still see Chat and Cowork options in the chat window, the update hasn't reached your account yet. The mode switcher is gone—Anthropic is migrating accounts automatically.

Once updated, you cannot revert to the previous separate areas. All chats, tasks, projects, connectors, and skills are preserved, and old Cowork tasks remain accessible. For team and free plans, the update will come later; no exact date has been announced. Administrators of corporate accounts will receive at least 30 days' notice before any changes are made.

New Tools and Free Plan Limitations

Two new tools have been introduced. Claude Docs allows users to collaboratively create documents with colleagues and Claude, including comments and shareable links. Claude Slides is designed for creating presentations that can be edited, presented directly in Claude, or downloaded in PowerPoint and PDF formats. The Claude Design tool, introduced in April, is now available in any chat. All three features are in beta and only accessible on paid plans; free accounts do not have access. Company administrators can decide when to enable these features. Anthropic maintains the distinction between free and paid access, established with the launch of the Fable 5.1 model, which is also unavailable on the Pro plan.

Managing Claude's Actions

The chat window now offers permission settings. By default, manual mode is selected: before each action, Claude requests permission, and the user confirms every step. In automatic mode, Claude continues working independently, with built-in safety checks before performing actions. This setting applies to the entire conversation and can be changed at any time. In any mode, Claude always asks for confirmation before permanently deleting a file.

Limitations of the New Version

The new version does not support importing content from GitHub or branching conversations from previous points. Incognito chats open in the old interface and cannot create files or run code. Search does not cover old Cowork tasks—they can only be found by name among recent conversations. The web search toggle has been removed; now, Claude accesses the internet only when necessary to complete a task. During the transition period, usage tracking differs between updated and non-updated accounts. Long-running tasks involving search, code, and files consume more quota than quick questions.

This week, OpenAI also updated its Plus subscription.