A sessions hub is now part of the Claude Desktop app, giving users one place to see and switch between every Claude Code and Claude Cowork session they have running. Crypto Briefing reported the change on 15 September 2026, describing “a unified view of every active session regardless of whether it’s running on their local machine or on Anthropic’s remote servers”. Sessions can be filtered by environment, Local or Cloud, from the app’s sidebar.
“Managing multiple AI work sessions used to mean keeping careful mental track of what was running where,” the report says. “Anthropic just made that considerably less painful.” The difference matters because local and cloud sessions behave differently. A local session pauses when you close the app, while a cloud session keeps running on Anthropic’s servers.
Below we explain what the sessions hub does, check the report against Anthropic’s own Claude Code documentation, and compare the four environments a session can run in. We also cover plan access, how work moves between the terminal, desktop and web, where the feature fits in Anthropic’s wider hub plans, and the limits and admin controls teams should know. For background, see our report on Anthropic’s Hub Mode task orchestrator.
Table of contents
- What the Claude Desktop Sessions Hub Does
- How the Sessions Hub Report Compares With Anthropic’s Documentation
- Local, Cloud, SSH and WSL: The Environments Behind the Sessions Hub
- Who Can Use the Sessions Hub
- Moving Work In and Out of the Sessions Hub
- How the Sessions Hub Fits Anthropic’s Hub Plans
- Sessions Hub Limits Worth Knowing
- Managing the Sessions Hub Across a Team
- Getting Started With the Sessions Hub
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Sessions Hub
- References
What the Claude Desktop Sessions Hub Does
In Claude Desktop, each conversation in the Code tab is a session with its own chat history and project folder. The sessions hub is the sidebar that lists those sessions together, so several can run in parallel and a user can move between them without losing track.
One sidebar for every session
According to Crypto Briefing, the interface “surfaces inside the Claude Desktop sidebar, where users can filter their sessions by environment: Local or Cloud”. Anthropic’s documentation describes the same sidebar in more detail. It lets users filter sessions by status, project or environment, group them by project, rename a session from the toolbar and archive it with one click.
Keyboard control and split panes
The documentation lists keyboard shortcuts that make the sessions hub quicker to use. Cmd+N on macOS or Ctrl+N on Windows starts a new session, and Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab cycle through open ones. Holding Cmd or Ctrl while clicking a session opens two sessions side by side in split panes, and Cmd+\ or Ctrl+\ closes the focused pane.
Notifications when work finishes
Parallel sessions only help if you know when one needs attention. The desktop app sends an operating-system notification when a session finishes and you are not looking at it. Each session keeps its own context, while plan usage is shared across all Claude Code surfaces.
How the Sessions Hub Report Compares With Anthropic's Documentation
The phrase “sessions hub” comes from the Crypto Briefing report, which is credited to its editorial team and does not cite a source. Anthropic’s documentation does not use that name, but it does describe the sidebar, the environments and most of the behaviour the report attributes to the feature.
Where the report and the docs agree
Both say sessions can be filtered by environment. Both say cloud sessions run on Anthropic-managed infrastructure and keep going if you close the app. Both say you cannot move a running session from local to cloud or back: the documentation says you “must start new session in target environment”, and the report says switching environments “requires starting a fresh session”.
Where the report goes further or differs
The report describes only two environments, Local and Cloud. The documentation lists four: Local, Cloud, SSH and WSL. The report says cloud session functionality is “currently in beta” and rolled out “progressively through August and September 2026”. The documentation’s availability table lists cloud sessions on all four paid plans and all three desktop operating systems, and does not label the feature as a beta.
| Claim in the report | What Anthropic’s documentation says | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sidebar filters sessions by Local or Cloud | Filters by status, project or environment; groups by project | Confirmed, and broader |
| Local sessions pause when the app closes | Local runs on your machine; cloud continues if you close the app | Consistent |
| Cloud sessions persist after closing | Cloud sessions continue even if you close the app or shut down | Confirmed |
| Cannot switch local and cloud mid-session | Cannot move a session between environments | Confirmed |
| Two environments: Local and Cloud | Four: Local, Cloud, SSH and WSL | Report is incomplete |
| Cloud sessions in beta on Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise | Cloud sessions listed on all four plans; no beta label in the table | Plans match; beta status unclear |
Why the gap matters
For most readers the difference is minor, but it affects expectations. Teams that develop on remote Linux servers or inside Windows Subsystem for Linux will find those environments in the sessions hub too, with their own rules. Anyone relying on the beta label should check the release notes for their own account, since features can reach plans at different times.
Local, Cloud, SSH and WSL: The Environments Behind the Sessions Hub
Before sending the first message in a new session, you choose where Claude runs. That choice decides what the session can touch, whether it survives closing the app, and which desktop features work.
Local sessions
Local sessions run on your own machine with direct access to your files. They work on all platforms, though administrators can disable them. They get the file pane for spot edits, an integrated terminal, side chats and plugins. Because they depend on the app, they stop being useful the moment you close it.
Cloud sessions
Cloud sessions run on Anthropic-managed infrastructure and keep working if you close the app or shut down your computer. They can span multiple repositories, can auto-archive when a pull request merges or closes, and can be monitored from claude.ai/code or the mobile app. Usage counts toward your subscription limits. Anthropic suggests them for long jobs such as large refactors, migrations and test suites.
SSH sessions
SSH sessions run on a remote Linux or macOS machine you connect to. The desktop app installs Claude Code on the remote machine on first connection. SSH sessions support permission modes, connectors, plugins and MCP servers, plus the file pane and terminal, which makes them the closest remote equivalent of a local session.
WSL sessions
On Windows only, WSL sessions run inside a Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 distribution on your machine. They support side chats and cross-session messaging, but not plugins or file pane editing. For Windows developers whose toolchain lives in Linux, WSL is the environment to select in the sessions hub.
| Capability | Local | Cloud | SSH | WSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your machine | Anthropic infrastructure | Remote Linux or macOS host | WSL 2 on your PC |
| Keeps running if app closes | No | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| File pane editing | Yes | No, ask Claude | Yes | No |
| Side chats | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Plugins | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Seen by cross-session messaging | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Permission modes | All | Accept edits, Plan, Auto only | Supported | Not stated |
| Operating systems | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows only |
Isolating sessions with worktrees
Running several sessions on one Git repository risks them editing the same files. The desktop app can give each session its own Git worktree, an isolated copy of the repository, stored by default in the project’s .claude/worktrees/ folder. Changes in one session do not affect another until committed, which is what makes a busy sessions hub safe for parallel coding.
Who Can Use the Sessions Hub
Claude Code sessions, and so the sessions hub, are tied to paid Claude plans. Crypto Briefing says Claude Cowork and Code sessions “are gated to paid plans”, and Anthropic’s documentation gives the detail.
Plan availability
Anthropic’s availability table lists Local, Cloud and SSH sessions and worktrees on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. WSL sessions are available on all four plans but only on Windows. Sessions started from Dispatch, the persistent assistant in the Cowork tab, are limited to Pro and Max, not Team or Enterprise.
| Feature | Pro | Max | Team | Enterprise | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local sessions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Cloud sessions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| SSH sessions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Worktrees | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Dispatch sessions | Yes | Yes | No | No | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| WSL sessions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows only |
Cowork sessions on web and mobile
For Claude Cowork, Anthropic’s help centre says Cowork is available on paid plans in the desktop app and in beta on web and mobile for Pro, Max and Team, and for Enterprise when an owner enables it. That matches the report’s note that “beta feature availability also varies somewhat between the web client and mobile”.
The local-files caveat for cloud Cowork sessions
Anthropic’s help centre adds an important detail for Cowork. A cloud session started on desktop can read and write folders you connected on your computer only while the desktop app is open. If the app is closed, the session keeps running but cannot reach your local files. So the sessions hub shows a cloud session as alive even when part of its reach is paused.
Moving Work In and Out of the Sessions Hub
The sessions hub is more useful because work can enter it from other surfaces. Anthropic documents several routes between the terminal, the desktop app, the web and IDEs.
Resuming terminal sessions with /resume
Typing /resume in the desktop prompt box lists sessions started from the Claude Code command-line tool. You can search by title, folder or branch, preview where each session left off, and continue with the full conversation. TestingCatalog spotted the command on 28 August 2026, calling it “one more step towards a Hub”. It works on macOS and x64 Windows with subscription sign-in, not with an API key.
Sending a terminal session with /desktop
Running /desktop in the command-line tool saves the current session and opens it in the desktop app, then exits the terminal. It has the same platform and sign-in limits as /resume, and it does not work with API keys or with Claude through Bedrock, Foundry or other third-party providers.
Continue in the web or your IDE
The “Continue in” menu in the session toolbar can push a local session to Claude Code on the web, where Desktop summarises it and starts a new cloud session with the context. It needs a clean working tree and is not available for SSH sessions. The same menu can open the project in a supported IDE such as VS Code, Cursor or Zed.
Sessions started by Dispatch
Dispatch, a persistent conversation in the Cowork tab, can decide that a request is a development task and start a Code session on its own. Those sessions appear in the sessions hub with a Dispatch badge, and you get phone notifications when they finish or need approval.
| Route | From | To | Main limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| /resume | Terminal session | Desktop sessions hub | macOS and x64 Windows; subscription sign-in |
| /desktop | Terminal session | Desktop, terminal exits | No API key or third-party providers |
| Continue in: web | Local session | New cloud session | Clean working tree; not SSH |
| Continue in: IDE | Any session project | VS Code, Cursor, Zed and others | Supported IDE installed |
| Dispatch | Cowork tab request | Code session with badge | Pro and Max only |
Sessions that talk to each other
Claude can also list, message and manage your other Code tab sessions when asked in plain language, such as “tell the payments session the schema changed”. It sees up to 20 of the most recently active local, SSH and WSL sessions, but not cloud sessions or terminal sessions, and it asks before archiving anything. A message sent to a busy session waits until its current task finishes.
How the Sessions Hub Fits Anthropic's Hub Plans
The sessions hub did not arrive out of nowhere. Over the summer, a series of launches and leaks pointed towards one place for managing many agents and sessions at once.
From the April redesign to September
On 15 April 2026, Anthropic rebuilt the Claude Code desktop app around parallel sessions, adding the multi-session sidebar, side chats, drag-and-drop panes, an integrated terminal, a file editor and a rebuilt diff viewer, MacRumors reported. On 18 August, TestingCatalog reported Hub Mode, a task orchestrator for sub-agents. On 28 August came /resume, and on 1 September a Claude Hub early-access flag, which we covered in our report on Claude Hub entering early access.
The chart counts the days from the 15 April redesign to each later step (for example, 15 April to 18 August is 125 days), scaled against the 153 days to the sessions hub report.
Sessions hub, Hub Mode and Claude Hub are different things
It is easy to blur these names. The sessions hub is a shipped sidebar for managing sessions you can already run. Hub Mode, as reported, is about Claude coordinating sub-agents and showing overall progress. Claude Hub is an early-access destination whose final shape Anthropic has not announced. The sessions hub may become part of a larger hub, but nothing published confirms that.
Cloud sessions are getting more attention
Crypto Briefing observes that “cloud session defaults appear to be getting more prominent in recent documentation”. Anthropic’s release notes point the same way. Of the session-related Claude Code changes Releasebot logged between 4 and 15 September, most concerned cloud or remote sessions: fast mode in Remote sessions, a fix for cloud sessions rejecting subagent tool calls, and a fix for cloud sessions that took about ten minutes to respond.
The chart counts the seven session-related Claude Code entries in Releasebot’s log for 4 to 15 September by the surface each one touched.
Sessions Hub Limits Worth Knowing
The sessions hub makes parallel work easier to see, but several rules shape what you can do with it. Most come straight from Anthropic’s documentation.
You cannot move a session between environments
A session started locally stays local, and a cloud session stays in the cloud. To switch, start a new session in the other environment, or use “Continue in” to hand a local session to the web as a new cloud session with a summary. Plan environment choice before a long task starts.
Cloud sessions have fewer controls
Cloud sessions do not support the Manual or Bypass permission modes, only Accept edits, Plan and Auto. They cannot run plugins, do not offer side chats or file pane editing, and are invisible to cross-session messaging. You can still watch and steer them from the web or the mobile app.
Side chats are temporary
Side chats, opened with Cmd+; or Ctrl+; or by typing /btw, let you ask a question using a session’s context without adding to its main thread. They are not saved to disk and cannot be reopened after you close the app, and they are not available in cloud sessions.
Usage is shared
Each session in the sessions hub has its own context window, but plan usage is shared across every Claude Code surface, including cloud sessions. Running many sessions in parallel uses up a subscription’s allowance faster, so heavy users should watch the usage indicator next to the model picker.
Managing the Sessions Hub Across a Team
For teams, the sessions hub raises the usual questions about access, security and cost. Anthropic provides several managed settings aimed at administrators.
Controlling where sessions can run
Administrators can disable Local sessions. They can restrict which remote machines users may reach over SSH with an sshHostAllowlist managed setting, using case-insensitive patterns such as *.example.com. They can also pre-configure approved SSH connections for everyone with an sshConfigs setting, so staff do not type host details by hand.
Treat remote and cloud sessions as privileged access
An agent that can run commands on a server is effectively a privileged user. Normal cybersecurity practice applies: keep SSH host allowlists short, give cloud environments only the network access and variables they need, and review which repositories each cloud session can reach. Anthropic’s custom cloud environments let you set network access and environment variables per environment.
Plan for cost and review
More parallel sessions means more output to review. Worktrees keep changes separate, and auto-archiving after a pull request merges or closes keeps the sessions hub tidy. Teams should still agree who reviews agent-written code before it merges. Our guide to using AI coding assistants safely in large software projects covers review practices in more depth.
Getting Started With the Sessions Hub
If you already use Claude Code, the sessions hub needs no set-up beyond an up-to-date desktop app and a paid plan. A few habits help you get more from it.
Pick the environment by the job
Use Local for quick, interactive work on your own files. Use Cloud for long-running refactors, migrations and test suites that should survive closing your laptop. Use SSH when the code and its dependencies live on a remote server, and WSL when your Windows toolchain runs in Linux.
Name and group sessions
Rename sessions so the sidebar tells you what each one is doing, and group them by project. Archive finished sessions, or switch on auto-archive after a pull request merges or closes, so the sessions hub shows only live work.
Use worktrees for parallel changes
Turn on the worktree option for any repository where more than one session will make changes. It keeps sessions from overwriting each other and lets you review and commit each change separately.
Bring terminal work across
If you started a task in the terminal, use /resume in the desktop app or /desktop in the terminal to bring it into the sessions hub, where you can watch it alongside your other sessions and get notified when it finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Sessions Hub
What is the Claude Desktop sessions hub?
It is the sidebar in Claude Desktop that lists your Claude Code and Cowork sessions in one place. You can filter by environment, status or project, group by project, run sessions in parallel and switch between them.
What is the difference between local and cloud sessions?
Local sessions run on your computer with direct file access and stop when you close the app. Cloud sessions run on Anthropic’s infrastructure, keep running after you close the app and can be monitored from the web or mobile app.
Which plans include the sessions hub?
Anthropic lists local, cloud and SSH sessions and worktrees on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. Dispatch sessions are limited to Pro and Max, and WSL sessions to Windows.
Can I move a session from local to cloud?
No. You cannot move a running session between environments. You can start a new session in the other environment, or use “Continue in” to send a local session to Claude Code on the web as a new cloud session with a summary.
Is the sessions hub the same as Claude Hub or Hub Mode?
No. The sessions hub manages sessions you can already run. Hub Mode is a reported sub-agent orchestrator, and Claude Hub is an early-access destination Anthropic has not fully described.
References
Claude desktop gets a sessions hub for juggling local and cloud work (Crypto Briefing)
Desktop application: Claude Code Docs
Anthropic Rebuilds Claude Code Desktop App Around Parallel Sessions (MacRumors)
Use Claude Cowork on web, desktop, and mobile
TestingCatalog on /resume for Claude CLI sessions
Anthropic tests Hub Mode in Claude for sub-agents (TestingCatalog)
Anthropic Release Notes (Releasebot)
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