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Claude Code in Claude Desktop: AI-Powered Coding Without the Command Line

From JOHNWICK

Anthropic had quite a few releases in the last couple of days announcement: Claude Code is now available directly in the Claude Desktop app.

For developers who’ve been using Claude Code in the terminal, this might seem like a convenience update. But for the millions of business professionals, technical PMs, data analysts, and “citizen developers” who never touch a command line? This is a paradigm shift. Let me explain why this matters — and how you can leverage it today.

What Is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic’s agentic coding tool. Unlike traditional chat-based AI assistants that just suggest code snippets, Claude Code can:

  • Read and modify your entire codebase (up to 200,000 tokens of context)
  • Execute multi-step coding tasks autonomously — debugging, refactoring, testing, documentation
  • Work across multiple files and systems without losing context
  • Use Plan Mode to research and strategize before making any changes
  • Run parallel sessions for different tasks (one agent fixes bugs while another writes tests)

Until now, accessing Claude Code required:

  • A terminal/CLI environment
  • Command-line comfort
  • Technical setup (environment variables, git configuration, etc.)

That barrier is now gone.

Claude Code in Claude Desktop — Preview Mode

What’s New: Claude Code in Desktop

As of November 24, 2025, Claude Code is available in the Claude Desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. For many developers this is a preview and a very stripped-down version of claude code we know. Here’s what’s available:

Who can access it?

How Claude Code Desktop Differs from CLI

For Developers Already Using CLI:

Key Insight: Desktop doesn’t replace CLI — it complements it. Power users can start in Desktop and pop into CLI when they need granular control. The same session can move between interfaces.

For Business Users WITHOUT CLI Access

This is where the magic happens. Previously, to use Claude Code you needed: 

# CLI Installation (not anymore!)
npm install -g @anthropic/claude-code
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key
claude init

Now? Download the Desktop app, Log in, Start coding.

Real-world scenarios now possible for non-technical users:

  • Product Managers: “Analyze our GitHub issues and prioritize the bug backlog based on severity”
  • Data Analysts: “Refactor this Python analysis script to handle edge cases and add error logging”
  • Technical Writers: “Review the codebase and update the README with current API endpoints”
  • QA Engineers: “Add unit tests to the checkout flow covering payment failure scenarios”
  • Business Analysts: “Create a competitive analysis by scraping these 5 competitor websites”

Plan Mode: The Feature For Business Plan Mode deserves special attention because it makes Claude Code safe for business users.

What Is Plan Mode? Plan Mode separates research/analysis from execution. When activated (Shift+Tab twice in CLI, or toggle in Desktop):

  • Claude can read files, search code, analyze structure
  • Claude cannot write, edit, or execute anything
  • Claude presents a detailed plan for approval before any changes

Why This Matters for Business Users Traditional concern: “What if the AI breaks something?” With Plan Mode:

  • Claude researches your codebase (read-only)
  • Claude proposes step-by-step implementation
  • You review and approve before anything happens
  • Only then does Claude execute

Practical Workflow: First-Time Desktop User Here’s how a business user might approach their first Claude Code Desktop session:

Step 1: Setup (2 minutes)

  • Download Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download
  • Log in with Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise account
  • Open a new Claude Code session

Step 2: Connect Your Project

  • Option A: Point to a local folder/git repository
  • Option B: Connect to GitHub for remote sessions (available in cloud mode)

Step 3: Start with Plan Mode "I need to add error handling to our payment processing module. Enter Plan Mode and analyze the current implementation first." Claude will:

  • Read relevant files
  • Identify existing error handling patterns
  • Map dependencies
  • Propose a structured implementation plan

Step 4: Review and Approve

  • Review Claude’s plan
  • Ask clarifying questions
  • Approve or request modifications

Step 5: Execute

  • Exit Plan Mode
  • Claude implements the approved changes
  • Review the diff
  • Commit or rollback

The Bigger Picture: Why This Release Matters

Claude Code in Desktop removes the “developer tools for developers only” barrier. This aligns with the broader industry trend of AI making technical capabilities accessible to domain experts regardless of their coding background.

Conclusion

Claude Code in Claude Desktop isn’t just a feature update — it’s Anthropic’s answer to the question: “How do we make agentic coding accessible to everyone?” For developers, it’s a more integrated, visual workflow. For business users, it’s permission to participate in coding workflows they were previously locked out of. The command line isn’t dead. But it’s no longer a gatekeeper.

Read the full article here: https://medium.com/@meshuggah22/claude-code-in-claude-desktop-ai-powered-coding-without-the-command-line-d65a57e4d72d

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