Claude lives on one download page, claude.com/download. It has the desktop app for macOS, Windows (x64 and ARM64) and a Linux beta, plus links to the iPhone and Android apps. Downloading is free. The rest of this guide goes through installing on a computer, the phone apps, what the country lists mean for signing in, the MCP config file, and Gateway mode for people who cannot or do not want to sign in to an Anthropic account. If you want the terminal agent instead of the app, that install is covered in Download Claude Code.
What Claude Desktop is
Claude Desktop is Anthropic's official app for computers. It holds chat, Cowork and a Code tab, which is Claude Code with a graphical interface. Compared with the website it adds local MCP servers, meaning access to your own files and programs, and a visual view of code changes. Chat is available on the Free plan. Per Anthropic's help article, the Code tab and Cowork are available on Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise.
Where to download and what you need
Treat claude.com/download as the only trusted source (claude.ai/download leads to it as well). Windows users also have the Microsoft Store. We do not cover "Claude Desktop crack" builds, "portable" copies or torrent installers: a swapped installer gives whoever made it access to your files and keys.
| System | Requirements | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer, Intel and Apple Silicon | claude.com/download |
| Windows x64 | Windows 10 or newer | claude.com/download or Microsoft Store |
| Windows ARM64 | Windows 10 or newer | claude.com/download |
| Linux (beta) | Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+, x86_64 or arm64 | Anthropic's apt repository |
The macOS and Windows requirements come from Anthropic's help center. There is no desktop build for Fedora or Arch, so use the command-line agent there. Computer use and dictation do not work on Linux yet.
On Linux you install from Anthropic's apt repository:
sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/claude-desktop-archive-keyring.asc https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-desktop/key.asc
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/claude-desktop-archive-keyring.asc] https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-desktop/apt/stable stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/claude-desktop.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt install claude-desktop
Before trusting the key, run gpg --show-keys /usr/share/keyrings/claude-desktop-archive-keyring.asc. The fingerprint must be 31DDDE24DDFAB679F42D7BD2BAA929FF1A7ECACE. The app does not update itself on Linux; updates arrive with sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. A downloaded .deb file also exists, but it does not subscribe you to updates, so the apt route is better.
Claude on iPhone and Android
The phones get separate apps. The download page links to both, and claude.ai/mobile opens the same thing from a phone. The apps are available on every plan from Free to Enterprise, with some features limited to paid plans.
| Platform | Where to look | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone and iPad | App Store, "Claude by Anthropic" | iOS 18.0 or newer, iPadOS 18.0 or newer |
| Android | Google Play, "Claude by Anthropic" | Android 8.0 Oreo or newer |
The App Store also lists Claude for Intune, a managed build for Enterprise organizations that use Microsoft Intune. Unless your IT team told you to install it, take the standard Claude by Anthropic app.
If the app does not appear in your store, Anthropic's help center gives three possible reasons: an unsupported region, an unsupported device, or an OS version that is too old. Whether it shows up in a store account tied to your country is not something we found in the help articles, and we have not tested it ourselves, so check your own store. Gateway mode, described below, is documented only for the desktop app. We did not find such a mode for the phone apps.
Install on Windows and Mac
- Download the installer for your system and open it.
- Let the installation finish, then start Claude: from Applications on a Mac, from the Start menu on Windows.
- Sign in to your Anthropic account.
Step three is where region matters. Anthropic publishes a list of supported countries. Any country not on it is unsupported, and the page also treats use by people who are physically located in an unsupported region as unsupported. The list leaves out, among others, China, Hong Kong, Russia, Belarus, Iran, Cuba, Syria and Venezuela. We do not recommend working around this with faked location data. What we know about bans and VPNs is in Claude account banned, suspended or deleted. The other route is Gateway mode, covered below, where no sign-in is needed.
A supported country does not guarantee an easy signup either: some non-US cards are declined at checkout, which blocks paid plans even when the app installs without trouble.
Connect an MCP server
An MCP server is a program that gives Claude access to files, databases or APIs. Most servers need Node.js, so install the LTS version from the Node.js site.
Open the Claude menu in the menu bar (not the settings inside the app window), choose Settings, open the Developer tab and click Edit Config. The app opens claude_desktop_config.json. According to the Model Context Protocol docs it lives here:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json - Linux:
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
An example for macOS with a filesystem server that may touch two folders:
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
"/Users/username/Desktop",
"/Users/username/Downloads"
]
}
}
}
Replace username with your own. On Windows, write paths with doubled backslashes: C:\\Users\\username\\Desktop. Paths must be absolute; relative ones fail.
Save the file, quit Claude Desktop completely and start it again. Closing one window is not enough. After the restart the server appears among the connectors: use the "Add files, connectors, and more" button in the input box, then Connectors. If it does not appear, read the logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\logs on Windows, ~/.config/Claude/logs on Linux. The mcp.log file describes connections, and mcp-server-NAME.log holds one server's output.
A server runs with your user's permissions and can do whatever you can do. Open only folders you are fine showing to a model. Servers and how to write them are covered in MCP servers with Claude in 2026.
Test the server and keep it safe
After the restart, ask Claude to list the files in one of the allowed folders. The first tool call asks you to confirm the action. Then follow three rules.
- Take servers only from sources you trust: an npm package runs with your user's rights.
- Start narrow. One working folder beats the whole home directory.
- Keep passwords and tokens out of
args. Pass them through theenvkey and never commit the config to a repository.
Desktop app, website or Claude Code in the terminal
Pick by the job. Chat on the web and in the app gives one set of abilities. Desktop adds local MCP servers and a Code tab with visual diffs. Claude Code in the terminal suits people who work in a shell and run the agent from scripts and CI; there claude mcp add connects servers. If a chat with access to a few folders is enough, install Desktop. If you want an agent that runs tests and commits on its own, start with Claude Code.
Claude Desktop through Claudexia: Gateway mode
Claude Desktop has a third-party inference mode. Instead of Anthropic, the app sends requests to a gateway you name. Anthropic's documentation says the gateway must accept POST /v1/messages with streaming and tool use, and that GET /v1/models is optional. Claudexia fits that description, but to Anthropic it is a third-party product that it does not review or endorse.
You do not sign in to Anthropic for this. Setup takes five steps, matching our Claude Desktop guide:
- Install the app, open its main menu (the three-bar icon), then Help, Troubleshooting, Enable Developer Mode.
- In the new Developer menu choose
Configure Third-Party Inference.... - In the connection section pick
Gatewayand fill in the fields from the table below. Leave Gateway SSO IdP (OIDC) empty. - Open Models and turn on Model discovery. The list loads from
https://api.claudexia.tech/v1/models, and the Test model discovery button checks the connection. - Click
Apply Changes. The app restarts. If the sign-in screen appears again, chooseOr sign in with Gateway.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Credential kind | Static API key |
| Gateway base URL | https://api.claudexia.tech (no /v1) |
| Gateway API key | sk_cdx_YOUR_KEY |
| Gateway auth scheme | x-api-key |
Know this before you start. Anthropic's documentation presents the 3P mode as a solution for organizations, and even in this mode the app contacts Anthropic hosts for service data: the workspace bundle, the Claude CLI binary, updates and the model catalog. We cannot promise those hosts are reachable from your network. Local MCP servers in this mode are added through Settings, Developer, while remote connectors cannot be added by the user. The Code session picks up servers from Claude Code's own configuration, so claude mcp add and .mcp.json work as usual.
Claudexia remains API access. It does not sell Claude subscriptions or the claude.ai chat. You create a key in the dashboard and top up the balance with a local card, Visa or Mastercard, SBP where it exists, or crypto (USDT, BTC, ETH). Whether using any route is allowed from your location is a question for Anthropic's terms, and we cannot answer it for you. Create an account to get a key, or see the model catalog for what each model costs.
Common errors
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The model list is empty | An extra /v1 in the address, or a wrong key | Remove /v1, check the key, press Test model discovery |
| Error 401 | The key does not start with sk_cdx_ or is disabled | Check the key in the API Keys section |
| Gateway was unreachable | The app could not reach the address at launch | Check the address and the network, for example with curl against /v1/models |
| The MCP server does not appear | JSON syntax error, a relative path, or the app was not restarted | Check commas and quotes, use absolute paths, quit the app completely |
${APPDATA} in the logs on Windows | The server did not expand the environment variable | Add the expanded %APPDATA% value to the server's env key |
npx not found | Node.js is not installed | Install the LTS version and restart the app |
FAQ
Where do I download Claude Desktop?
Only from claude.com/download, or from the Microsoft Store on Windows. It has installers for macOS, Windows x64 and ARM64, and a link to the apt instructions for Linux.
How do I download Claude on my phone?
Search for "Claude by Anthropic" in the App Store (iOS or iPadOS 18.0 or newer) or in Google Play (Android 8.0 or newer). If the app is missing, Anthropic's help center blames an unsupported region, device or OS version.
Is Claude free to download?
Yes. The desktop and phone apps are available on every plan, Free included. Chat works without paying, while the Code tab and Cowork need a paid plan.
Is there Claude Desktop for Linux?
Yes, as a beta for Ubuntu 22.04 and newer and Debian 12 and newer, on x86_64 and arm64. Fedora and Arch have no desktop app, so use Claude Code from the terminal there.
Where is claude_desktop_config.json?
On macOS in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json, on Windows in %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json, on Linux in ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. The easiest way is the Edit Config button on the Developer tab, so you never have to remember the path.
Does Claude Desktop work where Anthropic is not available?
Anthropic does not support countries missing from its list, so signing in and paying for a subscription there is not offered. You can set the desktop app to Gateway mode and route requests through Claudexia, which needs no Anthropic sign-in. Whether Anthropic's service hosts are reachable depends on your network, and there is no equivalent mode for the phone apps in the documentation we found.
What are the Windows requirements?
Windows 10 or newer, in x64 and ARM64 builds. The installer is on claude.com/download, and the app is also in the Microsoft Store.
Do I need a subscription for Claude Desktop?
Chat in the desktop app is part of the Free plan. The Code tab needs Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise. In Gateway mode you need no subscription: you pay the gateway for tokens.