Step 3 of 10 · about 15 minutes
Open the Code tab in the Claude app
By the endYou can open the Code tab, and you know what the controls under the message box do.
Everything in Parts 4 and 5 happens in one place: the Code tab of the Claude app on your computer. It looks like Chat, with one difference. Here Claude can see the files in a folder on your computer, change them, and run commands. That is what Claude Code means.
Open it
- Open the Claude app on your computer (the step "Install the Claude app on your computer and your phone" in Part 2).
- Find the Code tab at the top of the sidebar. If the tabs show only icons, hover over each one to see its name.
- Click Code.
The first time, one of three things may happen:
- It asks you to upgrade. Your plan doesn't include Claude Code yet. Step 1 of this part explains.
- It asks you to sign in online. Do that in the browser, then quit the app completely (see below) and open it again.
- It shows an error with the number 403. The fix is below.
The 403 fix: sign out and back in from the app's menu; check that your plan includes Claude Code; if it still fails, quit the app fully with Command + Q and open it again.
The 403 fix: sign out and back in from the app's menu; check that your plan includes Claude Code; if it still fails, quit Claude completely (not only close the window) and open it again.
Otherwise you see an almost empty screen with a message box in the middle, like a new chat. Good to know: the desktop app includes Claude Code, so you don't install anything extra to use the Code tab.
The row under the message box
Look under the message box. There is a row of small controls. From left to right:
- Where Claude works. the first control in the row under the message box, the environment selector; choose the top entry under Local. "Local" means on this computer, which is what you want. Ignore the other entries.
- Which folder. Next to it is the folder control. It is empty now. Step 3 opens your project folder here.
- Permission mode. How often Claude asks before doing something. The choices are Manual, Accept edits, Plan, Auto and Bypass permissions. Click it and choose Manual if it isn't already. Step 4 explains the others.
- Model. Which version of Claude answers. Leave it as it is.
On a PC the first control lists Local, Cloud, SSH and WSL; choose the top entry under Local. WSL runs Claude inside a Linux layer on the PC. It is optional and advanced, and this guide never uses it. Local is the one.
If these controls sit above the message box instead, your app is an older version. Update it:
Click the Claude menu at the top-left of the screen, then Check for Updates…, and install the update. The newer layout matches this guide.
click Help at the top of the Claude window, then Check for Updates…, and install the update. If there is no menu bar at the top of the window, press Alt once to show it. The newer layout matches this guide.
How to quit the app completely
A few fixes in this guide say "quit the app completely". Closing the window is not the same thing, so here is the difference once:
Press Command + Q while Claude is in front, or click the Claude menu at the top-left and then Quit Claude. The red dot at the top-left of the window only closes that window; the app keeps running.
close the Claude window, then click the ^ arrow at the right end of the taskbar, right-click the Claude icon among the hidden icons, and click Quit. Those hidden icons are the tray. The X at the top-right only closes the window; Claude keeps running in the background. When you open Claude again, your sessions are still there.
Two things to know
The Code tab uses the same usage limit as Chat: chat, the Mac app and Claude Code all draw from the same limit. Building uses more than chatting, so you may meet the limit sooner. It refills on its own, as the step "Choose a Claude plan" in Part 2 explained.
Each conversation here is called a session. A session is tied to one folder. You can have several, and they appear in the sidebar, like chats do.
Last checked October 28, 2026