Claude Cowork Moves to the Cloud October 6: What to Do First

On October 6, 2026, Anthropic removes the "Only on this computer" option from Claude Cowork on Pro and Max plans, and every new Cowork task runs in the cloud. Your existing local sessions, folders and scheduled tasks do not disappear, but a few things quietly change: where new work runs, which files it can reach, what gets saved, and what happens when your Mac goes to sleep. I spent October 4 migrating my own setup (8 scheduled tasks, 578 local sessions, about 220 memory notes) and tested the cloud version end to end. Here is exactly what changes, what does not, and every step I took, with the commands.

Read next: Your CRM Is Moving Into ChatGPT and Claude: What B2B Teams Should Do

What exactly changes in Claude Cowork on October 6?

The in-app banner reads: "Cowork tasks that run only on this computer are being deprecated. The Only on this computer option is going away on October 6, at which point new Cowork tasks will run in the cloud. To continue working only on your computer after October 6, try Claude Code." Anthropic's help center confirms it: "On October 6, 2026, new Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans run in the cloud," the option is removed, and "tasks you already started on your computer stay there, and you can keep working on them until they're done" (Anthropic, Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile).

The notice names Pro and Max. Team and Enterprise organizations are not named in it.

Do I lose my local Cowork sessions, files or memory?

Sessions: no. They stay in your sidebar and keep working. What you cannot do is switch a session between modes: "Once a session starts, it stays in the cloud or local" (Anthropic, What to expect with Claude Cowork in the cloud). A long-running local thread will not carry into a new cloud session on its own.

Files: no. "Your folders stay on your computer. Claude reaches only the folders you've connected, through the desktop app, and only while it's open." When a cloud task needs a file, Claude fetches a copy of just that file (same Anthropic article as above).

Memory: check before you panic. Anthropic's memory page says "Cowork sessions that run locally on your computer don't use memory" and that memory is shared with Cowork only in the cloud (Anthropic, chat search and memory). My account did not match that. Local project memory was copied into my account on September 15 (the desktop changelog mentions local projects "moving to claude.ai" with a "memory copy"), and about 36 notes were created or updated by my local Cowork work after that date, the latest on October 2. Open Settings, then Memory, and read your Topics list before you assume anything is missing.

The one real loss: working files. In the cloud, "Files Claude delivers are saved. Working files it doesn't hand back aren't kept or referenced after the session ends." If your sessions generate scripts or drafts along the way, tell Claude to save them to your project folder. Step 6 below makes that automatic.

Do my scheduled tasks keep running after October 6?

Yes, but read this part carefully, because Anthropic's own help articles currently disagree. The October 6 article, updated the week this post went live, says "Your scheduled tasks move to the cloud too, including ones that use files on your computer. Tasks that use files on your computer need the desktop app open" (Anthropic, Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile). The older cloud overview still says "Existing local tasks that rely on a local folder or local connector keep running locally," and that scheduled tasks created in the cloud "can't use local folders or local connectors" (What to expect with Claude Cowork in the cloud). Whichever wording your account ends up on, the operating rule is the same: a task that touches your files, Chrome or a local MCP server needs your Mac awake with the desktop app open when it fires.

I read the prompt of every one of my 8 tasks. All of them drive Chrome (HubSpot, Search Console, Gmail, LinkedIn) or read a folder on my Mac, so none could run purely in the cloud. Do the same audit: for each task, ask what it touches while it runs. Connectors only (Gmail, Calendar, Slack via connector) can run with the laptop closed. Anything using Claude in Chrome, local files or a local MCP server needs the Mac awake with the app open.

Do not click "Move to cloud" on a task that needs your Mac. The button exists, but the task still needs the computer and gains nothing. Do not delete and recreate tasks either. If you ever build a new one that needs local files, pick your local folder in the task form or turn on "Require this computer" (Dinah Davis walks through that setting). The app also moves scheduled tasks to the cloud automatically when the computer is offline, for accounts where that has started, rechecking every minute since the September 11 release (Claude Desktop changelog). A sleeping Mac is the most likely way to lose a morning of runs.

Step 1: How do I back up every local Cowork session?

You do not need to click "Download task data" on hundreds of tasks one at a time. Cowork stores local sessions as files in one folder, and scheduled task prompts in another, so one copy command backs up everything (IT-Libero documents the folder location).

Quit Claude first (Cmd+Q), because copying while the app writes can corrupt files. Open Terminal and paste:

mkdir -p ~/Documents/claude-backup-2026-10-04 && cp -R ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/local-agent-mode-sessions ~/Claude/Scheduled ~/Documents/claude-backup-2026-10-04/

Check it worked:

ls ~/Documents/claude-backup-2026-10-04 && du -sh ~/Documents/claude-backup-2026-10-04

You should see local-agent-mode-sessions and Scheduled plus a size. Mine was 7.9 GB. If your Cowork files live somewhere other than ~/Claude, check Settings, then Cowork, then Cowork files, which shows the path.

Step 2: How do I keep a live copy of Claude in Google Drive?

A one-time backup goes stale the next day. I wanted every session, project folder and Claude Code transcript copied to Google Drive automatically, with the same folder structure. Global instructions cannot do this, because they only change what Claude does inside a session. A small background job can.

Install Google Drive for desktop from google.com/drive/download and sign in. When it offers to sync Documents, Desktop or Downloads, leave them unchecked and click Skip. Do not use "Add folder" for the Claude folders either: that is a two-way sync that could write back into the app's live data. Confirm the Drive folder exists:

ls ~/Library/CloudStorage/

You will see GoogleDrive-you@yourdomain.com. Use that exact name below, and replace YOURNAME with the output of whoami. Then paste this whole block into Terminal:

mkdir -p ~/bin ~/Library/LaunchAgents
cat > ~/bin/claude-mirror.sh <<'EOF'
#!/bin/zsh
DRIVE="$HOME/Library/CloudStorage/GoogleDrive-you@yourdomain.com/My Drive"
DEST="$DRIVE/Claude Mirror"
[ -d "$DRIVE" ] || { echo "$(date) Google Drive not mounted" >> "$HOME/claude-mirror-error.log"; exit 1; }
mkdir -p "$DEST"
cd "$HOME" || exit 1
A="Library/Application Support/Claude"
CANDIDATES=(
  "$A/local-agent-mode-sessions" "$A/claude-code-sessions" "$A/sessions"
  "$A/Projects" "$A/Artifacts" "$A/Scheduled"
  "$A/space-memory-copy" "$A/spaces-present" "$A/design" "$A/document-baselines"
  "$A/claude_desktop_config.json" "$A/mcp-user-tool-toggles.json"
  "Claude" ".claude"
)
SRCS=()
for p in "${CANDIDATES[@]}"; do [ -e "$p" ] && SRCS+=("$p"); done
rsync -aR --exclude '.DS_Store' --exclude 'node_modules' --exclude '.credentials.json' "${SRCS[@]}" "$DEST/"
echo "$(date) mirrored ${#SRCS[@]} items" >> "$DEST/mirror-log.txt"
EOF
chmod +x ~/bin/claude-mirror.sh
cat > ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-mirror.plist <<'EOF'
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0"><dict>
<key>Label</key><string>com.claude-mirror</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key><array><string>/bin/zsh</string><string>/Users/YOURNAME/bin/claude-mirror.sh</string></array>
<key>StartInterval</key><integer>1800</integer>
<key>RunAtLoad</key><true/>
<key>StandardErrorPath</key><string>/Users/YOURNAME/claude-mirror-error.log</string>
</dict></plist>
EOF
echo "Setup files created"

Run the first copy by hand so you can see any errors, then turn on the 30-minute schedule:

~/bin/claude-mirror.sh
launchctl bootstrap gui/$(id -u) ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-mirror.plist && launchctl list | grep claude-mirror

The first run can sit silently for several minutes. A line like "No such file or directory" for a .claude.json.backup file is harmless: the app deleted a temp file mid-copy. Success looks like "mirrored 14 items" in mirror-log.txt inside the new Claude Mirror folder in Drive. The job is one way (Mac to Drive), never deletes anything from Drive, and skips login tokens, cookies, caches, the multi-gigabyte VM images and node_modules. One caution: session transcripts contain whatever you worked on, so if your Drive is a company Workspace, its admins can technically reach them.

Step 3: How do I stop my Mac from sleeping through scheduled tasks?

In System Settings, open Battery, then Options, and turn on "Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off" (Apple, sleep and wake settings). It only works while plugged in, and closing a MacBook lid still sleeps it unless an external display, keyboard and mouse are attached.

Then in Claude, click Scheduled in the sidebar. The banner there reads "Tasks set to run on your computer only run while it's awake and online." Turn on the Keep awake switch next to it.

Step 4: Does Cowork in the cloud actually work with my files and Chrome?

Test it before October 6, while you can still switch back. One gotcha: the setting is labeled Only on this computer in Settings, then Cowork, and it works in reverse. On means local. Turn it off to make new tasks run in the cloud. Then open a project from the sidebar, start a new task, and paste:

Cloud readiness test. Do each step and report PASS or FAIL with the exact error. Don't fix anything.
1. From memory: tell me two facts you know about my work.
2. Read the first 10 lines of a file in this project folder. Create test.txt containing today's date, read it back, then delete it.
3. In Chrome, open a web app I'm logged into and read one value from the page.
4. Connectors: run one read on each connector I use (Gmail, Drive, Slack, HubSpot, etc.).
5. In code, run curl -sI on my website and pip install requests. Report both.
6. Confirm one of my skills loads. Don't run it.
7. Save a short results summary to cloud-test-results.md in this project folder.

My results: 13 of 14 checks passed. Memory recall, folder read and write, a live HubSpot API call through Chrome, Search Console, Gmail, Drive, Slack, HubSpot connector and a skill load all worked. The one "fail" was the delete, which is a safety feature: Cowork asks before deleting files, and the test told it not to ask.

Three surprises worth knowing:

Outbound web requests from code worked. Anthropic says cloud traffic passes through a proxy where "only allow-listed destinations are reachable" (Anthropic, Cowork architecture overview), and the published Pro and Max list is mostly package registries (Anthropic, Create and edit files). Yet curl to my own site returned HTTP 200. Test yours rather than trusting either.

The cloud clock runs on UTC. After 7 PM Central, a cloud session may think it is already tomorrow. Anything that dates files or picks "today" should take the date from your Mac.

The laptop icon tells you if it can reach your Mac. In the top left of a cloud task, a green dot with "Claude Desktop (macOS), Connected" means files and Chrome are reachable. If the app is closed, "the session keeps running but can't reach your local files" (Anthropic).

When you switch back to local, a survey pops up asking why. Pick "Just comparing the two, nothing went wrong" and click Switch.

Step 5: How do I stop the folder access prompts?

Each cloud session asks "Allow this Cowork session to access this folder?" and warns that files "leave your device and are processed on Anthropic's servers." To approve once, go to Settings, then Cowork, then Trusted Cowork folders, click Manage, and add your parent projects folder (for most people ~/Claude/Projects). Trusting a folder covers every folder inside it. Do not add the base ~/Claude folder, which holds the app's own scheduled tasks and may show as "a protected location," and do not add your whole home folder. Anthropic's safety guidance is dedicated working folders only (Use Claude Cowork safely). Folders trusted from the popup's "Don't ask again" checkbox show a "Remembered" label; they work the same way.

Claude Code folders do not belong on this list. Claude Code asks to trust each folder itself.

Step 6: Which global instructions should I add for cloud sessions?

Put these in Settings, then General, in the instructions box, and in Settings, then Cowork, then Global instructions if your app shows it. They fix the three habits that break in the cloud.

FILE SAVING: In every Cowork session, save all deliverables, scripts and working files into the connected project folder as you go, in a subfolder named for the task, without asking. Never leave anything only in the session sandbox; it is wiped when the session ends. If no folder is connected, tell me at the start. End each session by listing the paths you saved.

DRIVE FALLBACK: If you can't reach a file on my Mac (the desktop app is closed, the Mac is asleep, or I'm on my phone), look for it in my Google Drive folder "Claude Mirror", which copies my Mac with the same paths relative to my home folder. Treat it as read-only and possibly out of date. Never edit or save inside Claude Mirror. Save new or edited files to the Drive folder "Claude Phone Work" and list them.

FULL HOW-TO, EVERY TIME: Whenever I need to do something myself, give the complete instructions every time: where to go, what to click by its on-screen name, anything to paste in a copy-ready block, and what I should see when it worked. Never say "do Step 2" or "as above."

If you add an auto-upload-to-Drive rule, open Settings, then Connectors, then Google Drive, and set Create file to always allow, but set Share file and Trash file to require approval. Mine had Share and Trash set to "always allow," which is backwards for anything customer facing.

Should I move my Cowork tasks to Claude Code instead?

Only for work that truly has to run on your machine or that fails your cloud test. Anthropic's offered path is: click "Download task data" on the task, unzip it, open the folder in Claude Code, and run /port-task-data. But "your projects and scheduled tasks don't carry over to Claude Code" (Anthropic), and Anthropic lists memory as shared between chat and cloud Cowork, not Claude Code. Moving everything trades one migration for a bigger one. I kept code work in Claude Code and everything else in Cowork.

If you have long-running local threads, you do not need to port them. They stay usable. When you eventually start a new cloud session on that work, ask the old thread first: "Write a handoff for this thread and save it to my project folder: goal, current state with numbers, decisions and why, open items with dates, IDs and URLs, gotchas, next three actions." The new session reads the file and you lose nothing.

What should you do now?

Before October 6: back up the sessions folder, set your Mac to stay awake on power, turn on Keep awake, run the cloud test, trust your projects folder, and add the global instructions. On October 6 and 7: open Scheduled and confirm each task's latest run finished. If one shows skipped or failed, the cause is almost always a sleeping Mac or a closed app, not the migration itself.

Frequently asked questions

Will my local Claude Cowork tasks stop working on October 6?

No, existing local tasks keep working after October 6. Anthropic says tasks you already started on your computer stay there and you can keep working on them until they are done. Scheduled tasks move to the cloud, and ones that use files on your computer need the desktop app open to run. Only new tasks are forced into the cloud.

How do I download all my Claude Cowork history at once?

Copy the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/local-agent-mode-sessions with Claude closed; it holds every local session. The "Download task data" button only exports one task, and the full-history download Anthropic mentions may not appear on every account.

Does Claude Cowork in the cloud use memory?

Yes, cloud Cowork sessions share memory with chat, so what comes up in a task carries back to chat and the other way around. Anthropic says local sessions do not use memory, but local Cowork work did update memory in our account, so check Settings, then Memory, then Topics for yourself.

Can Cowork in the cloud access files on my Mac?

Yes, but only while the Claude desktop app is open on that Mac, only for folders you have connected, and only for sessions started on desktop. If the app closes, the session keeps running but loses access to your files, Chrome and local MCP servers.

What does "Require this computer" mean for a Cowork scheduled task?

It means the task runs in the cloud but needs something on your computer, such as a local folder, Chrome or a local MCP server, so your computer must be awake and online when it runs. Pair it with the Keep awake switch on the Scheduled page.

Sources: Anthropic, Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile; Anthropic, What to expect with Claude Cowork in the cloud; Anthropic, Cowork architecture overview; Anthropic, chat search and memory; Anthropic, Schedule recurring tasks; Claude Desktop changelog; Anthropic, Claude Cowork and chat are now one Claude; Dinah Davis, Where should your Claude tasks go after October 6; IT-Libero, Back up Claude Cowork chat history. Settings, commands and test results verified on a Max plan Mac on October 4, 2026.