Anthropic opened a Claude Duet research preview waitlist on October 21, 2026, starting with US Pro and Max subscribers. In its announcement, the company describes an agent that checks connected apps, prepares work and asks for approval before taking specified actions.
The preview comes with Pro and Max plans and shares their usage limits with the rest of Claude. However, joining the waitlist does not grant immediate access: Anthropic says it will email users when Duet is ready for them. The announcement does not specify a general release date, access outside the US or a separate Duet price.
Claude Duet works between conversations
Duet runs in a standalone iOS or Android app and on claude.ai. Anthropic built it around Claude Opus 5.5 for professionals and small business owners. It carries over memory, skills and connected apps from a user’s Claude account. Users can then type or speak to it in one ongoing thread.
Each morning, Duet sends a short briefing about important items across connected apps. Anthropic says it checks those accounts every few hours and messages users when it judges that something needs attention. Users can also tell it which topics to flag and how often they want to hear from it.
For example, Anthropic says users can ask Duet to schedule meetings, build dashboards, prepare financial or sales forecasts, prototype and build web apps. It has a virtual machine with its own browser, so background work can continue even when the user’s phone or laptop is off. It sends a notification when a task finishes or needs review.
Those background checks count toward the same plan limits as other Claude use. Additionally, Anthropic says larger tasks, such as a financial model or presentation, need more model turns and background work. Its announcement does not specify a separate Duet usage allowance.
Connected tools and approval rules
Duet can use more than 6,000 connectors and plugins in the Claude Marketplace, according to Anthropic. For example, it can find missed Gmail or Slack messages and help draft replies. It can also check QuickBooks or Stripe for unpaid invoices and prepare reminders.
Other examples include preparing payroll in Gusto, drafting HubSpot follow-ups and creating a social campaign in Canva. Meanwhile, Anthropic lists a richer Shopify visual editor and signing into sites with saved 1Password logins as coming soon. The latter will require the user’s permission.
Duet can read, draft and prepare work independently. However, Anthropic says it must show the proposed action and wait for approval before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document or deleting anything. Trading securities and moving money between accounts remain off-limits even with approval. Users can also disconnect any app it can access.
For business purchases through Stripe’s Link wallet, Duet confirms the item with the user, and Link asks them to approve the spend. It then pays with a virtual card that keeps the real card number private. Duet can also check out at online stores through Shopify’s Shop Pay.
Privacy safeguards and preview limits
Anthropic says Duet never directly sees passwords or sign-in tokens. Separately, a dedicated classifier and safety system prompt check each message to guard against sensitive information leaks. The company designed them to reject requests to share its strictest tier of information, including credit card numbers and government identification.
For other sensitive information, such as health or personal finances, Anthropic says Duet will share it only when users explicitly instruct it to do so. The company says it continues to develop those protections and plans to share further safety details.
Still, Anthropic cautions that this early version may misread a thread or misjudge urgency. Personal errands, including booking tickets, are less developed than its work functions, and users cannot yet see its browser. For now, Duet also remains separate from the main Claude app while Anthropic gathers feedback from the research preview.
