Most AI tools wait for you to type something. You open the app, ask a question, get an answer, and close it again.
Claude Duet works the other way around. Anthropic’s new app is built to bring things to your attention, and it can handle tasks while you’re busy with something else.
What Is Claude Duet?
Anthropic describes it as a new app where Claude works as a proactive agent, available as a standalone app on iOS and Android, and on claude.ai. It’s aimed at working professionals and people who run small businesses. In other words, people with more on their plate than they can comfortably track. Introducing Claude Duet +2
It’s a research preview, so it’s early and not open to everyone yet.
How Claude Duet Works
It starts your day with a brief. Duet sends a morning brief on the most important items across your connected apps and messages you when something needs attention. Anthropic’s own launch post gives a small example: one team member gets a rundown each morning, and Duet noticed an upcoming meeting on her calendar and prepared a brief for it. qz
It does the work, not just the talking. According to coverage of the launch, it handles jobs from scheduling meetings to preparing financial forecasts and building web applications. aa
It keeps going when you step away. The agent runs through a browser-equipped virtual machine, so it can continue working even when your devices are off. aa
It connects to the tools you already use. Duet draws on more than 6,000 connectors and plugins in the Claude Marketplace, with examples including Gmail, Slack, QuickBooks, Stripe and Shopify. It can also shop for your business. Per Anthropic, it can buy things using Stripe’s Link wallet or check out at online stores with Shop Pay. biggox
Can You Trust an Agent That Acts on Its Own?
That’s the obvious worry, and Anthropic’s answer is to keep you in the loop. Duet needs your approval before it sends messages, makes payments, signs documents or deletes information. You can also disconnect any app it has access to. On security, Anthropic says it runs adversarial tests on Duet’s security infrastructure. Anthropic launches Claude Duet AI agent to rival Meta’s Muse, OpenAI’s Dots +2
The company is also upfront about the rough edges. It says Duet is still early and might misread a thread or miscalibrate what’s urgent. Because it’s built for work, personal errands like booking tickets are not as strong. So treat it like a capable new colleague: useful, but worth double-checking at first. CNBCCNBC
Who Can Use It Right Now?
For now, Duet is limited to Pro and Max users in the U.S., and Anthropic has opened a waitlist. Under the hood, it’s built around Claude Opus 5.5. It also lives in its own app, separate from the main Claude app. Anthropic is unveiling Claude Duet AI agent to rival Meta, OpenAI +2
How Does It Compare to Meta Muse and OpenAI Dots?
Claude Duet joins a new race. Coverage of the launch notes it follows Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots, both introduced in September, as AI companies compete on assistants that act on your behalf. Duet’s pitch is a work-first focus with a strong emphasis on approvals. aa
The Bottom Line
Claude Duet is a bet that the next step for AI isn’t a smarter chat window but an assistant that notices what matters and gets things done. It’s early, limited to the U.S. and waitlisted, but if you’re a busy professional or small business owner, it’s worth watching.
FAQ
What is Claude Duet?
A proactive AI agent app from Anthropic that sends a morning brief, flags what needs attention, and completes tasks across your connected apps.
Who can use Claude Duet?
During the research preview, Pro and Max subscribers in the U.S. can join the waitlist.
Is Claude Duet safe to use?
It asks for approval before sending messages, making payments, signing documents or deleting anything. Anthropic also says it’s an early product that can make mistakes.
Is it on iPhone and Android?
Yes, plus claude.ai on the web.