Install Claude

This article is for anyone who is new to Claude. You will set it up in the places you work (browser, computer and phone), sign in once, and have your first useful conversation. It takes about five minutes.

Where you can use Claude

Claude is one account with several ways in. Your chats, projects and settings follow you across all of them.

Where	What it is	Best for
Web	claude.ai in any modern browser	Quick start, shared or borrowed computers
Desktop app	Claude for macOS and Windows (Linux is in beta)	Daily work, keyboard shortcuts, local tools
Mobile app	Claude for iOS and Android	Voice, photos, questions on the go

You do not need all three. Most people start on the web and add the desktop app once Claude becomes part of their day.

Use Claude in your browser

1. Go to claude.ai.
2. Choose to sign up or log in.
3. Pick a sign-in method: your Google account or your email address.
4. If you use email, open the message Claude sends you and follow the link or enter the code.
5. Answer the short welcome questions. You can change these later in Settings.

That is it. The chat box is ready.

Tip: Use the same sign-in method every time. If you sign up with Google once and with an email link the next time, you can end up with two separate accounts.

Install the desktop app

The desktop app gives you the same Claude with a few extras, such as a global shortcut and access to tools on your own computer.

1. Go to the official download page: claude.com/download.
2. Download the version for your system (macOS, or Windows on x64 or ARM).
3. Open the downloaded file and follow the installer.
4. Start Claude from your Applications folder (Mac) or the Start menu (Windows).
5. Sign in with the same account you use on the web.

Note: On a paid plan the desktop app also contains Claude Code, the coding assistant. See Install Claude Code if you want to work with files and folders on your computer.

Install the mobile app

1. Open the App Store (iPhone, iPad) or Google Play (Android).
2. Search for “Claude by Anthropic” and check that the publisher is Anthropic.
3. Install the app and open it.
4. Sign in with the same account.

The mobile app is handy for voice input, for snapping a photo of a document or whiteboard and asking about it, and for picking up a chat you started at your desk.

Warning: Only install Claude from claude.ai, claude.com or the official app stores. Look-alike apps exist and some ask for payment or personal data.

Have your first chat

A good first chat is a real task, not a test question. Try something from your own work.

1. Click New chat (or the pencil icon).
2. Type what you need in plain language, with enough context for a stranger to understand it.
3. Optional: attach a file with the paperclip or plus button, such as a PDF, spreadsheet or screenshot.
4. Press Enter and read the answer.
5. Reply to refine it: “shorter”, “more formal”, “turn this into a table”.

An example first message:

I run a small design studio in Amsterdam. Below is an email from a client
asking to move a deadline. Draft a friendly reply that agrees to one extra
week, but not two. Keep it under 120 words.

[paste the email here]

Get more from the first week

• Keep each chat about one topic. Start a new chat when you switch subjects.
• Ask Claude to ask you questions first when a task is complex: “Before you start, ask me what you need to know.”
• Check facts, figures and names before you send anything. Claude is good, not infallible.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to try
No sign-in email arrives	Check spam, wait a minute, then request a new link
Logged in but chats are missing	You may be in a different account; log out and use your original sign-in method
Desktop app will not open	Download it again from the official page and reinstall
“Usage limit reached” message	You hit your plan’s limit; wait for it to reset or read Choose the right Claude plan

Next steps

• Choose the right Claude plan
• Brief Claude like a colleague
• Give Claude lasting context with Projects