Get started with the desktop app changeddesktop-quickstart
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5656<Steps>
5757 <Step title="Choose an environment and folder">
58 Select **Local** to run Claude on your machine using your files directly. Click **Select folder** and choose your project directory.
58 In the [row under the prompt box](/docs/en/desktop#start-a-session), click the first control, the environment selector, and select the top entry in the **Local** group. Then click the project folder control beside the environment selector, select **Open folder…**, and choose your project's directory.
5959
60 If no environment selector appears under your prompt box, you have the earlier layout. See [Check which layout you have](/docs/en/desktop#check-which-layout-you-have).
61
6062 <Tip>
6163 Start with a small project you know well. It's the fastest way to see what Claude Code can do.
6264 </Tip>
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6466 You can also select:
6567
6668 * **Cloud**: Run sessions in the cloud that continue even if you close the app. See [Use Claude Code in the cloud](/docs/en/claude-code-on-the-web) for how cloud sessions work.
67 * **SSH**: Connect to a remote machine over SSH, such as your own servers, cloud VMs, or dev containers. Desktop installs Claude Code on the remote machine automatically the first time you connect. A running task can [keep going while Desktop is disconnected](/docs/en/desktop#keep-a-task-running-while-desktop-is-disconnected), but with a Claude account it can stop when its sign-in expires.
69 * **SSH**: Connect to a remote machine over SSH, such as your own servers, cloud VMs, or dev containers. [Add a connection](/docs/en/desktop#ssh-sessions) first. Desktop installs Claude Code on the remote machine automatically the first time you connect. A running task can [keep going while Desktop is disconnected](/docs/en/desktop#keep-a-task-running-while-desktop-is-disconnected), but with a Claude account it can stop when its sign-in expires.
6870 * **WSL** (Windows): Run the session inside a [WSL 2 distribution](/docs/en/desktop-wsl); Claude Code, tools, and git execute on the Linux side with native paths.
6971 </Step>
7072
7173 <Step title="Choose a model">
72 Select a model from the dropdown next to the send button. See [models](/docs/en/model-config#available-models) for a comparison of the available models. You can change the model later from the same dropdown.
74 Select a model from the model picker toward the right end of the row under the prompt box. See [models](/docs/en/model-config#available-models) for a comparison of the available models. You can change the model later from the model picker.
7375 </Step>
7476
7577 <Step title="Tell Claude what to do">
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8385 </Step>
8486
8587 <Step title="Review and accept changes">
86 What happens next depends on the [permission mode](/docs/en/desktop#choose-a-permission-mode) shown in the selector next to the send button:
88 Check your [permission mode](/docs/en/desktop#choose-a-permission-mode) in the row under the prompt box to see whether Claude waits for your approval:
8789
8890 * **Auto or Accept edits**: Claude applies its file changes, and an indicator such as `+12 -1` appears so you can review them in the diff view
89 * **Manual**: Claude proposes each change and waits for your approval before applying it. Your files aren't modified until you accept, and if you reject a change, Claude asks how you'd like to proceed instead
91 * **Manual**: Claude proposes each change and waits for your approval before applying it
9092
9193 In Manual mode, you'll see:
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102104
103105**Interrupt and steer.** You can redirect Claude at any point. Click the stop button to interrupt immediately, or type a correction and press **Enter** to send it without stopping the running action. Either way, you don't have to wait for it to finish or start over.
104106
105**Give Claude more context.** Type `@filename` in the prompt box to pull a specific file into the conversation, attach images and PDFs using the attachment button, or drag and drop files directly into the prompt. The more context Claude has, the better the results. See [Add files and context](/docs/en/desktop#add-files-and-context-to-prompts).
107**Give Claude more context.** Type `@filename` in the prompt box to pull a specific file into the conversation. The more context Claude has, the better the results. See [Add files and context](/docs/en/desktop#add-files-and-context-to-prompts).
106108
107109**Use skills for repeatable tasks.** Type `/` or click **+** → **Slash commands** to browse [built-in commands](/docs/en/commands), [custom skills](/docs/en/skills), and plugin skills. Skills are reusable prompts you can invoke whenever you need them, like code review checklists or deployment steps.
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115117* **Accept edits**: Claude auto-accepts file edits for faster iteration.
116118* **Plan**: Claude proposes an approach without editing any files, which is useful before a large refactor.
117119
118**Add plugins for more capabilities.** Click the **+** button next to the prompt box and select **Plugins** to browse and install [plugins](/docs/en/desktop#install-plugins) that add skills, agents, MCP servers, and more.
120**Add plugins for more capabilities.** Install [plugins](/docs/en/desktop#install-plugins) that add skills, agents, MCP servers, and more.
119121
120**Arrange your workspace.** Drag the chat, diff, terminal, file, and browser panes into whatever layout you want. Open the terminal with **Ctrl+\`** to run commands alongside your session, or click a file path to open it in the file pane. See [Arrange your workspace](/docs/en/desktop#arrange-your-workspace).
122**Arrange your workspace.** Drag the chat, diff, terminal, file, and browser panes into whatever layout you want. Open the terminal with **Ctrl+\`** to run commands alongside your session, or click a file path to open it. See [Arrange your workspace](/docs/en/desktop#arrange-your-workspace).
121123
122124**Preview your app.** When you run your dev server in the desktop, your app opens in the Browser pane, which can also [open external sites](/docs/en/desktop#browse-external-sites). Claude can view the running app, test endpoints, inspect logs, and iterate on what it sees. See [Preview your app](/docs/en/desktop#preview-your-app).
123125
124**Track your pull request.** After opening a PR, Claude Code monitors CI check results and can automatically fix failures or merge the PR once all checks pass. See [Monitor pull request status](/docs/en/desktop#monitor-pull-request-status).
126**Track your pull request.** After opening a PR, Claude Code monitors CI check results and can automatically fix failures. See [Monitor pull request status](/docs/en/desktop#monitor-pull-request-status).
125127
126128**Put Claude on a schedule.** Set up [scheduled tasks](/docs/en/desktop-scheduled-tasks) to run Claude automatically on a recurring basis: a daily code review every morning, a weekly dependency audit, or a briefing that pulls from your connected tools.
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