How to Download Claude: Apps, Desktop, Mobile, API

"Downloading Claude" means different things depending on what you're trying to do. If you want a chat app on your computer or phone, Anthropic provides official desktop and mobile apps you can install in a few minutes. If you want to use Claude without installing anything, the web app at claude.ai works in any modern browser. And if you're a developer who wants to call Claude from your own code, there's nothing to "download" at all — you connect to an API instead.

This guide walks through each option so you install the right thing the first time, instead of hunting through app stores or mixing up Claude the AI assistant with unrelated apps or streaming sites that happen to share the name.

Claude Desktop App (Mac and Windows)

Anthropic publishes native desktop apps for macOS and Windows. To get it:

1. Go to claude.ai on your browser.
2. Look for the "Download" or "Get the app" link, usually in the sidebar or account menu.
3. Choose your operating system and run the installer.
4. Sign in with your existing Anthropic account (or create one).

The desktop app gives you a dedicated window instead of a browser tab, keyboard shortcuts, and in some versions, deeper integration with local files and tools. It's the same underlying model and conversation history as the web version — installing it is a convenience, not a requirement.

If you don't see a download link on the main page, check Anthropic's official site directly rather than third-party download aggregators. Claude has become popular enough that unofficial "Claude installer" links show up in search results; only install from claude.ai or Anthropic's own domains.

Claude Mobile App (iOS and Android)

Claude has official apps on both major app stores:

• iOS: search "Claude" in the App Store, published by Anthropic.
• Android: search "Claude" in the Google Play Store, published by Anthropic.

Install like any other app, then sign in with the same account you use on the web or desktop. Conversations sync across devices, so you can start a chat on your laptop and continue it on your phone.

A quick sanity check before installing: verify the developer name shown in the store listing is Anthropic. There are occasionally unrelated apps with similar names or icons — the official one will always list Anthropic as the publisher.

Claude in the Browser (No Download Needed)

If you just want to try Claude or use it occasionally, you don't need to download anything. Go to claude.ai, sign in or create a free account, and start chatting. This is the fastest path and works identically on Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook since it's just a web app.

The browser version and the desktop app share the same feature set for most users — the desktop app mainly adds a persistent window and OS-level notifications.

Claude Code (CLI Tool for Developers)

If you searched "how to download Claude" because you want to use it inside a terminal or code editor, you're likely looking for Claude Code, Anthropic's command-line tool for coding tasks. It's installed via a package manager rather than a traditional download:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Once installed, you run claude in your project directory and authenticate with your Anthropic account. This is a separate product from the chat app — it's built specifically for reading, writing, and editing code with Claude directly in your development workflow.

Using Claude Programmatically via API

None of the above — desktop app, mobile app, browser, or Claude Code — is the right path if you're building a product that needs to call Claude from your own backend, script, or SaaS. For that, you don't download an app; you make HTTPS requests to an API.

Anthropic's own API works directly through the Anthropic Console, where you generate a key and get billed per token. If you already have Claude access through a subscription and want to expose it as a clean HTTPS API for your own applications — with API keys, streaming, tool use, and usage metadata in one dashboard — that's exactly what SubToAPI does. Instead of managing separate API billing, you turn your existing Claude access into an application-ready endpoint.

Getting started takes a few steps:

1. Sign up and start your free trial.
2. Generate an application key (sub_live_...) from your dashboard.
3. Send requests to https://api.subtoapi.app/v1/messages.

A basic request looks like this:

curl https://api.subtoapi.app/v1/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUBTOAPI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4",
    "max_tokens": 512,
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Summarize this changelog in two sentences."}
    ]
  }'

See the quickstart guide for a full walkthrough, messages docs for request formatting, streaming docs for SSE-based responses, and tool use docs if you need Claude to call functions in your app. Plans start at €9/month for solo developers, with team and scale tiers on the pricing page for larger deployments.

Quick Reference: Which Option Do You Need?

• Casual daily use, no setup → claude.ai in your browser
• Dedicated app window, notifications → desktop app for Mac/Windows
• Chat on your phone → iOS or Android app
• Coding assistant in your terminal → Claude Code CLI via npm
• Building a product that calls Claude → API access (direct via Anthropic, or through SubToAPI if you want it wrapped as your own application API)

questions

Is there a single "Claude download" file for all platforms? No. Claude ships as separate installers for macOS and Windows, separate apps for iOS and Android, and a web app that needs no installation. Choose the one matching your device.

Do I need to download anything to use Claude in my own app? No. For programmatic use you connect to an API over HTTPS rather than installing software — either directly through Anthropic or via a service like SubToAPI that turns your existing access into an application API key.

Is Claude Code the same as the Claude desktop app? No. The desktop app is a chat interface for general use, while Claude Code is a separate command-line tool installed via npm, built specifically for coding tasks inside a terminal or editor.