On October 21, 2026, Anthropic opened the research preview of Claude Duet, a standalone app where Claude works as a proactive agent. It sends you a morning brief, keeps an eye on your connected services, completes tasks on a cloud virtual machine and asks for approval before sending a message, making a payment or deleting files. Here is what Claude Duet can do, which model it runs on, how much access costs and who it is actually useful for.
What is Claude Duet?
Claude Duet is not another chat window; it is an agent app. You message it the way you would message a person, by typing or speaking, in one continuous thread. It does not wait to be asked: it decides what needs your attention and reaches out first. Separate channels for different topics share the same memory, so context carries over.
The app ships separately from the main Claude app: iOS and Android versions plus web access through claude.ai. Inside there is a Tasks tab that shows what the agent is working on and where your input is needed, and a Make tab where finished results land: briefs, spreadsheets, decks and dashboards.
Which model does Claude Duet run on?
The agent is built on Anthropic's flagship Claude Opus 5.5 model. You cannot pick another model: Duet decides how much effort a job needs. That is different from regular Claude, where you choose the model and the thinking mode.
Memory, skills and connected apps carry over from your Claude account, so setup takes minimal work. Usage limits are shared too: Duet draws on the same five-hour session and weekly quotas as the rest of Claude.
What can Claude Duet do?
- Morning brief. Every morning the agent scans your email and calendar, picks the most important items and can draft replies right away.
- Background monitoring. Through the day it checks connected services every few hours and messages you only when something needs attention.
- Work without your device. Duet has its own virtual machine with a browser, so tasks keep running even when your laptop or phone is off.
- Larger jobs. It builds research briefs, financial models, slide decks and dashboards across dozens of tools, and returns the result as a file.
- Connectors and plugins. Anthropic claims support for over 6,000 connectors and plugins from the Claude Marketplace: Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, Slack, QuickBooks, Stripe, HubSpot, DocuSign, Calendly, Gusto, LinkedIn, Canva and Shopify.
- Purchases. Through Link by Stripe and Shop Pay the agent can pay for an item, but only after your approval and with a one-time card.
For a team running multiple traffic sources, the value is not the connectors themselves but the scenarios: a morning brief across email and Slack, a check for unpaid invoices in Stripe or QuickBooks, draft follow-ups, data from several services pulled into one dashboard, a financial model for spend and ROI. One important caveat: there are no direct Facebook Ads or Google Ads connectors in the official list, so ad stats have to come in through spreadsheets, APIs or an intermediate service.
How to get access to Claude Duet
This is a research preview, not a general release. The steps are:
- Go to claude.com/product/claude-duet and select "Join the waitlist".
- Enter your name and the email address tied to your Claude account.
- Choose your plan (Pro or Max) and your phone type (iPhone or Android).
- Wait for an invitation: access opens in waves and no specific date is guaranteed.
- Open the invite on your phone, sign in with the Apple or Google account that uses the same email, then log in to Claude Duet.
Preview requirements: US only, Pro and Max plans only, no Team or Enterprise. Changing your IP alone will not help, because access is tied to the account's country and the waitlist email. Buying "ready access" from resellers risks account suspension and breaches the terms of use.
How much does Claude Duet cost?
During the preview Claude Duet is included in Pro and Max at no extra cost. Pro is around $20 per month and Max costs more; there is no separate Duet tier. Limits are shared with the rest of Claude, and background checks and morning briefs count toward them, so you may hit your quota faster than with chat alone.
Invited users get one full limit reset covering both the five-hour session and weekly limits. It is available until November 30, 2026.
Safety and control
Duet can read, draft and prepare work on its own, but consequential actions stay with you. Before it sends a message, makes a payment, signs a document or deletes anything, it shows exactly what it is about to do and waits for approval. If you cannot approve right away, it finishes the rest of the task and brings the request back later.
- Duet never directly sees your passwords or sign-in tokens; it uses the same design as Claude Managed Agents.
- An auto mode classifier checks actions so the agent does not go beyond what you asked for.
- A dedicated classifier and system prompt block leaks of the strictest data, including card numbers and government IDs.
- Health and personal finance data go through only when you explicitly tell Duet to send them.
- Trading securities, moving money between accounts and accessing someone else's account are off-limits even with your approval.
- Any connector can be disconnected in settings, but memory of past information is kept.
Prompt injection remains a risk: the agent reads emails and websites that may contain hidden instructions. Anthropic builds its defenses on browser-use research but admits no defense is perfect, which is why risky actions require confirmation.
Claude Duet limitations
- You cannot choose a model, watch the agent work in its browser or take over the browser.
- Checks run at set intervals, so something urgent can arrive in between.
- It does not make phone calls or send text messages to other people; emails require your approval.
- It cannot see all your projects or files on your computer, and it can read but not change your work in Claude.
- Microsoft 365 is not supported yet and Slack works with limits.
- Personal errands such as booking tickets are weaker than work tasks.
- The preview is US-only and limited to Pro and Max.
Claude Duet vs OpenAI Dots vs Meta Muse
All three products chase the same idea: a personal agent that works in the background. The emphasis differs.
- Claude Duet is a work agent for professionals and small businesses: 6,000+ connectors, a cloud virtual machine and mandatory approval for risky actions. It is included in Pro at around $20 and is US-only for now.
- OpenAI Dots leans toward business use cases and integrations with work tools. According to Engadget, at launch it was available on the $100-per-month Pro tier.
- Meta Muse is primarily a personal assistant, with a small-business version as well. TechCrunch reports more than 10 million users, with shopping among the top activities.
Duet's main difference is its focus on work scenarios and its cautious approach: it does not try to be a universal Jarvis for household errands, but it goes deeper into email, calendar, CRM, accounting and payments.
Who is Claude Duet actually useful for?
- Small business owners. Invoices, payroll, customer replies, job posts and CRM follow-ups are routine work that can go to an agent with review.
- Teams with many data sources. One dashboard or financial model instead of ten open tabs.
- People who live in their inbox. A morning brief and drafted replies save the first hour of the day.
- Product people and founders. Prototypes, research, meeting prep and documents.
Duet is not a fit for people unwilling to grant access to email and money, for teams that rely only on services outside the Marketplace, or for anyone expecting a full personal assistant for everyday errands.
What comes next and what is still unclear
- When the preview becomes general availability and whether access opens outside the US.
- Whether Duet arrives on Team and Enterprise and whether pricing changes after the preview.
- Whether users will be able to choose a model and watch the browser work.
- When Microsoft 365 support arrives and Slack limits are lifted.
- How active background work affects usage limits in practice.
This is an early version: Anthropic warns that Duet can misread a thread or misjudge urgency. For the first weeks, test it on tasks without money or irreversible actions, and review the agent's decisions manually.
FAQ
What is Claude Duet?
It is an agent app from Anthropic that works in the background: it sends a morning brief, monitors connected services, completes tasks on a cloud virtual machine and asks for approval before risky actions.
When did Anthropic launch Claude Duet?
On October 21, 2026, Anthropic opened the Claude Duet research preview. Access is granted in waves through a waitlist, and a general release has not been announced.
Which model does Claude Duet use?
Claude Opus 5.5. You cannot choose another model; the agent decides how much effort a task needs.
How much does Claude Duet cost?
During the preview it is included in Pro and Max at no extra cost. Pro is around $20 per month. Usage limits are shared with the rest of Claude.
Is Claude Duet available outside the US?
Not officially. The preview is open to US accounts on Pro and Max only. Changing your IP does not grant access, because it is tied to the account's country and the waitlist email.
How is Claude Duet different from regular Claude?
Regular Claude answers requests in a chat. Duet initiates contact, works in the background on its own virtual machine and completes tasks inside connected apps.
Can I choose a model in Claude Duet?
No. The agent always runs on Opus 5.5 and decides the scope of work itself.
Is it safe to give Claude Duet access to email and money?
There is risk, but there are safeguards: approval before sending, paying or deleting, a dedicated classifier for sensitive data, and a ban on transfers between accounts and securities trading. Connectors can be disconnected.
How does Claude Duet compare with OpenAI Dots and Meta Muse?
Duet focuses on work tasks and cautious approvals, Dots on business integrations, and Muse on a personal assistant with shopping. Duet is included in Pro at around $20, while Dots launched on a $100+ Pro tier.
Will Claude Duet replace a media buyer or manager?
No. It removes routine work such as briefs, drafts, invoices and data collection, but decisions, budgets and irreversible actions stay with a human.
Sources
Official announcement: Introducing Claude Duet. Documentation: Get started with Claude Duet. Coverage: TechCrunch and Engadget.