Claude Now Shares Its Memory Across Chat and Its AI Agent, No More Rebriefing
Anthropic has merged the memory systems in Claude's chat and its Cowork agent, so the assistant carries what it learns from one into the other. Users can also read, edit, or delete exactly what Claude has stored.
Key points
- Anthropic on Tuesday merged the separate memory systems in Claude's chat and Claude Cowork, its AI agent (software that can carry out multi-step tasks on your behalf).
- Users can now view, edit, or delete everything Claude has retained, on any topic.
- Sensitive personal data such as health information and political views is excluded from memory by default, with an opt-in toggle to change that.
- The unified memory is available at no extra charge on Free, Pro, and Max plans across web, desktop, and mobile.
- Certain data, including government-issued ID numbers, Social Security numbers, and immigration status, will never be stored regardless of user settings.
If you have ever had to explain the same project twice to the same AI tool, once while talking it through and again when asking it to act, Anthropic has a fix for that.
The company announced Tuesday that Claude's chat interface and Claude Cowork, its AI agent for completing tasks like drafting documents and running searches, now share a single memory. Whatever Claude learns in one, it carries into the other.
Why did this feel so broken before?
Previously, chat and Cowork held separate memories. You might spend weeks in chat refining a conference plan, covering headcount, city, and speakers, then open Cowork to draft an agenda and find it knew none of it. You were back to square one.
Now Claude treats those two modes as one continuous conversation. Anthropic gives a concrete example: ask Cowork to draft a manager update referencing a project you discussed last month, and it already knows the context. No re-entering details.
There is a second improvement bundled in. Claude used to save a memory only when a conversation ended, writing a summary after the fact. It now adds topics to memory as the conversation unfolds. That means the shared pool updates in real time, even if you switch from chat to Cowork mid-session.
What does Claude actually remember about you?
Anthropically, the update gives users direct control over their stored data. A new screen lets you read every fact Claude has filed away, and edit or delete any of it.
By default, Claude skips sensitive categories: health data, race, ethnicity, religion, political views, and gender identity, among others. A toggle labelled "include sensitive topics in memory" lets users opt into storing those if they choose. The app sends a notification whenever a sensitive item is saved.
Some data is blocked entirely, regardless of settings. Social Security numbers, government-issued ID details, criminal history, and immigration status will never enter Claude's memory.
| Plan | Memory available? | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Yes | Web, desktop, iOS, Android |
| Pro | Yes | Web, desktop, iOS, Android |
| Max | Yes | Web, desktop, iOS, Android |
Mobile users on iOS and Android need to update the Claude app to the latest version to get the feature, first reported by TechCrunch AI. Everyone else gets it automatically.
Common questions
Can I stop Claude from storing anything at all?
Yes. You can turn memory off entirely in Claude's settings, or delete individual stored facts from the memory screen at any time.
Does this cost extra?
No. The unified memory ships free across all current Claude plans, including the free tier.
What if Claude stores something wrong?
The new memory screen lets you read and correct any stored fact directly. Anthropic designed the editable view specifically so users can fix errors without contacting support.
