Anthropic has officially released Claude Code for Desktop, which is currently in preview. This version introduces a native graphical user interface (GUI) application based on the existing command-line interface (CLI) version, aiming to provide developers with a more intuitive and powerful local AI programming environment.

As a core highlight of this release, Claude Code for Desktop introduces multi-session parallel workflow. By utilizing automatically generated Git Worktree technology, developers can open multiple independent Claude sessions within the same code repository, each with an isolated branch workspace (stored by default in ~/.claude-worktrees). This means different development tasks do not interfere with each other, completely eliminating the risk of code conflicts caused by overlapping sessions.

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In terms of integration, the desktop version demonstrates high flexibility:

  • Cloud Collaboration: It seamlessly integrates with the web version, allowing users to start cloud sessions directly from the desktop and switch between local and cloud environments effortlessly.

  • Automatic Environment Synchronization: The application automatically extracts the system's $PATH environment variable, ensuring that local development tools such as npm and node are ready to use out of the box, and supports custom encrypted environment variable configurations.

  • Independent Version Management: The desktop version includes a standalone and stable Claude Code core, supporting automatic downloads and silent updates without conflicting with other installed versions on the system.

Currently, Claude Desktop supports macOS and Windows platforms (not supporting Windows arm64). For developers seeking efficient collaboration and complex project management, the launch of this native desktop application marks the evolution of AI programming assistants from simple "chatbots" into full-featured "automated programming consoles."

Link: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop