What is Claude Duet?
Claude Duet is a separate app from Anthropic in which Claude works for you as an agent, even when you are not talking to it. A regular chat with Claude only starts when you ask a question. Duet keeps an eye on your connected apps itself, such as Gmail, Google Calendar and Slack, and gets in touch with you as soon as something needs your attention.
Anthropic launched Duet on 21 October 2026 as a research preview: an early version that is still changing. According to Anthropic's announcement, Duet is built for professionals and small business owners. It belongs to a new wave of always-on agents: ChatGPT dots from OpenAI and Grok Bot from xAI work the same way.
An AI agent is software that carries out tasks on its own instead of only giving answers. If you want the basic concept clear first, read what an AI agent is.
How does Claude Duet work?
Its own computer in the cloud
Duet runs on Claude Opus 5.5. You do not choose a model yourself: Duet decides per task how much reasoning it needs. The agent works on its own computer in the cloud, a virtual machine with its own browser. Your laptop and phone do not need to be on while Duet is working.
For websites without a connector, Duet uses that browser. You cannot watch along or take over the browser yet.
The morning brief and the check-ins
Every morning you get a short brief about what is happening in your connected apps, mainly your email and calendar. Duet can draft replies for you at the same time. After that, the agent checks your accounts every few hours. Anthropic deliberately chose against constant monitoring, because that would use up your usage limit. You can set what you want to hear about and how often.
During the day Duet sends updates and follows up on email threads that have gone quiet. When a task is done or needs your approval, you get a notification.
One conversation, with tabs for tasks and work
You talk to Duet in one ongoing conversation, by typing or with your voice. You can open separate channels per topic, and they share the same memory. The Tasks tab shows ongoing tasks; only you can tick a task off. The Make tab holds finished work, such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations and dashboards.
Duet takes over your memory, skills and connected apps from your Claude account. The app runs on iOS, Android and claude.ai.
Which apps can you connect?
According to Anthropic's help page, Duet works at launch with apps including:
- Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive
- Slack (with limitations)
- QuickBooks, HubSpot, Docusign and Calendly
- Stripe, plus the payment methods Link and Shop Pay, which only work in Duet
In the announcement Anthropic also mentions Gusto, LinkedIn, Canva and Shopify, and more than 6,000 connectors and plugins in the Claude Marketplace.
What is still missing: according to the help page, Microsoft 365 is not available yet. If your company works with Outlook and Teams, Duet offers you little at this stage. Duet also cannot call or text other people.
How much does Claude Duet cost?
During the research preview, Duet is included at no extra cost in the Claude Pro, Max and Ultra plans. Duet uses the same limits as your regular chats with Claude: the five-hour limit and the weekly limit. Background work counts too, such as the morning brief and the check-ins. Large tasks, such as a financial model or a presentation, cost more.
To make up for this, you get extra limit resets during the preview: three on Pro, one on Max and Ultra. Unused resets expire on 15 December 2026.
Duet does not work on Team and Enterprise plans yet. Anthropic says it will add them later, without giving a date.
Is Claude Duet available in the Netherlands?
No, not yet. During the research preview, Duet is only available in the United States, via a waitlist. Invitations go out in waves. Anthropic gives no date on its own pages for the Netherlands or the rest of Europe (as of 6 November 2026).
You see the same situation with the competitors. In the comparison of Claude Duet, ChatGPT dots and Grok Bot you can read per product what you can and cannot use from the Netherlands.
How safe is Claude Duet?
An agent with access to your email, calendar and bookkeeping needs clear limits. Anthropic describes its measures on a separate page about safety and privacy.
- Approval first. Before Duet sends a message, makes a payment, signs a document or deletes something, it shows exactly what it is about to do, with every recipient, and waits for your approval.
- No free pass for money. You cannot put payments, deleting an order or creating an account under a "don't ask again" rule.
- Always off limits. Duet will not trade securities, move money between accounts or log in to someone else's account, even with your approval.
- Sensitive data. A separate check reviews every outgoing message. Duet never shares login details, full card and bank account numbers or government ID numbers, even if you ask it to.
- Passwords. Duet does not see your passwords and login tokens itself. You enter them through an encrypted form in the app.
- Purchases. For every purchase, Duet creates a single-use card for that shop and that amount. Duet and the shop never see your real card number.
Anthropic openly states that no defence against prompt injection is perfect. Prompt injection is an attack in which a web page or email contains hidden instructions that try to mislead an agent.
Limitations Anthropic lists itself
- Duet can misread an email thread or misjudge its urgency.
- Something urgent can arrive between two check-ins.
- Personal errands such as booking tickets go less well; Duet is mainly built for work.
- Duet can read your work in Claude, but cannot edit it, and does not see the files on your computer.
What does Claude Duet mean for your business?
For a business owner the idea is appealing: an agent that keeps up with your inbox, chases quotes that have gone quiet and tells you in the morning what is going on. At the same time, you give an agent access to client emails and financial data. That calls for a few decisions up front.
- Which apps do you connect? Start with the apps that hold little sensitive personal data. Under the GDPR, the European privacy law, you remain responsible for what happens to client data.
- Where is your data processed? On the Duet pages, Anthropic does not say where the data is processed, and says nothing specific about training on Duet data. Duet follows the settings of your Claude account (as of 6 November 2026).
- Do your people know how this works? If employees use an agent like this, that falls under the AI literacy obligation in Article 4 of the EU AI Act, which has applied since 2 February 2025. Record who uses which tool and for what. An AI policy helps with that. A one-on-one AI training is one such measure. This is general information, not legal advice.
Claude Duet or Claude Cowork?
Claude Cowork works from your desktop: you give an instruction and Claude carries it out with your files. Duet works on its own computer in the cloud, watches your apps itself and contacts you. You can already use Cowork in the Netherlands. Duet is not available there yet. If you would rather have an agent that handles one fixed process for you, such as quotes or customer questions, you can have an AI agent built.
Frequently asked questions
What is Claude Duet? Claude Duet is a separate app from Anthropic in which Claude works as an always-on agent. Duet runs on Claude Opus 5.5 on its own computer in the cloud with a browser, keeps an eye on your connected apps such as Gmail and Google Calendar, and gets in touch with you when something needs your attention.
How much does Claude Duet cost? During the research preview, Duet is included at no extra cost in Claude Pro, Max and Ultra. It uses the same limits as your regular Claude chats, and background work such as the morning brief counts too.
Can I use Claude Duet in the Netherlands? Not yet. Since 21 October 2026, Duet has only been available in the US, via a waitlist. Anthropic gives no date for Europe (as of 6 November 2026).
Does Claude Duet work with Outlook and Microsoft 365? Not yet. According to Anthropic's help page, Microsoft 365 is not yet available in Duet. Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive and Slack do work.
Does Claude Duet do things without asking? Duet reads, summarises and prepares drafts on its own. For sending, paying, signing and deleting, it always asks for your approval first. It never trades securities or moves money between accounts.
Does Claude Duet work on a Team or Enterprise plan? No. Duet currently only works on Pro, Max and Ultra. Anthropic plans to add Team and Enterprise later, without a date.
Working with Claude agents today?
In the Netherlands you still have to wait for Duet. With Claude itself, Claude Cowork and connectors to your own apps, you can already have tasks carried out today. In the one-on-one AI training you set this up for your own work in one half-day session: Advanced for €449 excluding VAT, or Specialist for €579 excluding VAT if you want to work with agents and MCP connectors. If you want to build Claude automations together in one day in your own accounts, you can do that on an implementation day. You hear the price after a free 30-minute introductory call.
