Anthropic's Claude Duet is an agent that messages you first.

On Wednesday, Oct 21, Anthropic opened a research preview of Claude Duet for US Pro and Max subscribers, through a waitlist.

It's a separate app for iOS and Android, and on a computer you use it at claude.ai. Instead of waiting for you to open a chat, Duet sends a morning brief on what matters across your connected apps, like Gmail, Slack, QuickBooks or Shopify. It checks those apps every few hours, messages you only when something needs you, and takes tasks you give it by text or voice, from scheduling meetings to building dashboards and forecasts. It's built around Claude Opus 5.5 and runs on its own cloud computer with a browser, so it keeps working when your phone or laptop is off. It brings over your Claude memory, skills and connected apps. Before it sends a message, makes a payment, signs a document or deletes anything, it shows you exactly what it's about to do and waits for your OK. Some things, like trading securities or moving money between accounts, are off-limits even with approval.

Anthropic says Duet never directly sees your passwords or sign-in tokens, and a new safety check blocks it from sharing things like credit card numbers and government ID. It can buy things for you through Stripe's Link wallet with a virtual card, so your real card number isn't shared, after Link asks you to approve the spend. Team and Enterprise plans aren't included yet (Claude Duet FAQ).

What to weigh: there's no separate price during the preview, but Duet draws from the same usage limits as the rest of your Claude plan. Its background checks count against them, and big jobs like a financial model or a slide deck take more.

Anthropic says Duet can still misread a thread or misjudge what's urgent, can miss something that arrives between check-ins, is weaker at personal errands like booking tickets, and can't show you its browser yet. It's aimed at professionals and small business owners juggling inboxes, invoices and calendars. If you already run close to your Claude limits, factor that in.