Claude Duet: the assistant that speaks first

The short version

Most chat assistants wait for you to type. Claude Duet, which Anthropic opened as a research preview on October 21, is built to go first: it connects to the apps you already use, tells you each morning what needs you, does the legwork in the background, and brings you a decision only when one is due. You message it like a person, by typing or by voice, in one running thread.

It is aimed at professionals and small-business owners with more to track than time to track it. Anthropic's help center is candid that it is early: it can misread a thread or misjudge what is urgent, so drafts and approval requests are meant to be read, not rubber-stamped.

Oct 21Research preview opens, by waitlist, invitations in waves

Pro & MaxUS accounts only for now; not yet on Team or Enterprise

$0 extraIncluded in the plan, but it draws on your five-hour and weekly limits

Opus 5.5The only model it runs; it chooses its own effort level

A day, scored

Eight measures, two voices. The top line is Claude; the bottom line is you. Pick a measure to read what each part is doing. The day is illustrative, but every behavior in it comes from Anthropic's own description of how Duet works.

Duet in eight bars Use the arrow keys to move between measures.

Measure 1 of 8

First thing

Morning brief

Claude

Each morning it reads through your email and calendar, picks out what needs you most, and may start on first steps, such as drafting replies for you to review.

You

Nothing yet. You wake up to a short summary instead of an inbox.

Program notes: who gets to play

Plans. Pro or Max, on a US-based Claude account. Team and Enterprise are not included yet.
Access. Waitlist only. Anthropic sends invitations in waves and gives no guaranteed date; you get an email when it is your turn.
Devices. Anthropic's setup guide covers iPhone and Android, and your invitation is tied to one email that must match your Claude account and the Apple or Google account on the phone.
Model. Claude Opus 5.5, with no model picker. Duet sets its own effort level.

Press coverage differs on platforms: MacRumors described web plus iOS at launch, while ITdaily listed iOS, Android and claude.ai. The help center's setup steps are written for iPhone and Android.

Cost. No extra charge during the preview. It uses your five-hour and weekly limits at the same rate as chat.
The catch. Background work counts too, so an agent that checks in all day can use up limits sooner than you expect. Anthropic gives one full reset of both limits when you are admitted.
Apps. It reuses connectors you have already set up in Claude, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Slack, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Docusign and Calendly. You start every connection and can cut any of them off.
Memory. It carries over your Claude memory, skills and connected apps, and can search past chats if the "Search and reference chats" setting is on.

Dynamics: where it plays softly

A research preview has limits, and Anthropic lists them plainly. Read these as performance markings: places where the agent holds back, by design or because the feature is not there yet.

ff	Always asks first before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document or deleting anything. With approval it can send email from your connected accounts.
p	Passwords stay on your phone. When a site wants a login, you type it into a separate form on your device, designed to keep it out of the conversation.
pp	Treats what it reads as data. Email and web content are information, not instructions. Anthropic notes that prompt injection is still possible, which is why consequential actions need your approval.
G.P.	Tacet, even with approval: trading securities, moving money between accounts, and accessing someone else's account. It also does not place phone calls or send texts.
rit.	Not there yet. You cannot watch or take over its browser. It cannot see files on your own computer, and it can read your Claude work without changing it. Slack works with limits; Microsoft 365 is not available.

The rest of the program

Duet did not arrive alone. The same day, and earlier in October, Anthropic shipped several other pieces.

21 October

Claude Security goes continuous

The code-scanning product now re-scans connected repositories as code changes, tracks fixes (including ones made outside Claude Code) and reopens a finding if the bug returns. It is in public beta for Claude Enterprise, with an API, webhooks and an MCP connector. Organizations get $25,000 in monthly usage credits for two months, for use through December 31.

7 October

Claude Haiku 5.5

Anthropic's smallest and fastest model got a new version, which the company calls its most capable small model, pitched at high-volume, cost-sensitive work.

7 October

API credits on Max and Team

Max and Team plans now include monthly API credits for running your own apps and agents on the Claude Platform. You claim them by linking a Claude Console organization in billing settings.

The ensemble: coverage places Duet against Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots (CBS News, MacRumors), and ITdaily also names Google's Gemini Spark and Microsoft's Autopilot, noting that Anthropic is arriving after several of these were already in use.

How to get a seat

Open the Claude Duet product page and choose the waitlist option.
Enter your name and email. Use the same email as your Claude account.
Pick your plan and phone type. Optionally, describe your work and what you would hand off first.
Submit, then wait for an invitation email. Access is added gradually.
When it arrives, open the email on your phone and follow the iPhone or Android steps with the matching Apple or Google account.
Open the app and sign in with Claude. Then start small: one connector, one handoff, and read the first few approval requests closely.

Claude Duetthe assistant that speaks first