Claude Code Desktop Features: 6 You're Not Using

A video calling it "Claude 2.0" passed 600,000 views in three days. There is no Claude 2.0. What the video shows is the Claude Code desktop app, the Code tab inside the Claude app on your computer. We checked every claim against Anthropic's documentation, and these are the six Claude Code desktop features worth learning, with the shortcuts that actually work.

The app is for paid plans only: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Anthropic announced the redesign on April 14, 2026, so it isn't brand new. Projects is the newest part. It arrived on September 17 and is still in beta.

1. Side chats: ask without derailing the task

Claude is in the middle of a job and you have a question. Press Ctrl + ; on Windows, Cmd + ; on a Mac, or type /btw.

A side chat reads the whole main conversation up to that point, but nothing you say there goes back into the main task. One correction to the video: side chats are not saved. Anthropic's docs say the desktop app doesn't save them to disk, so copy anything you want to keep before you close the app.

2. Split view: two chats on one screen

Hold Alt (Option on a Mac) and click a chat in the sidebar. You can also right-click a chat and choose Open in, then Split view. To close one side, press Ctrl + Alt + W, or Cmd + Ctrl + W on a Mac.

This is useful when one chat is writing code and the other is reviewing it, or when you want to compare two approaches side by side.

3. Projects: one chat runs the others

In a project you describe the work once. A main chat, the coordinator, splits it into tasks, starts a thread for each one, hands them out and checks the results. You can open any thread to steer it.

The threads usually run in the cloud and share one project memory, so they keep working after you close your laptop. To start one, go to the sidebar, then Projects (sometimes under More), then New project.

Watch your usage. A new project runs every thread on Opus at high effort, which Anthropic says draws on your plan fastest. Projects is in public beta for Pro and Max and is rolling out gradually, with a waitlist. Team and Enterprise don't have it yet.

4. /skill-doctor: find the skills you never use

Skills take up room in Claude's working memory even when you don't use them. Type /skill-doctor and you see what each skill costs and how often it runs. Turn off the ones it flags as never used. You need version 2.1.252 or newer.

5. /doctor prompt-audit: a checkup for old instructions

The video mentions /doctor, but plain /doctor checks your installation, and it asks before it changes anything. The command that checks your instructions is /doctor prompt-audit. It reads your CLAUDE.md and skills and points out instructions that are outdated or contradict each other. Run it after a new model comes out. It needs version 2.1.283 or newer.

6. /advisor: a cheaper model with expert backup

Type /advisor opus and a second model gives advice at the hard moments of a task. For example, you work in Sonnet to save usage, and Opus weighs in on the difficult calls. Type /advisor off to stop it.

Don't see these features?

Update the app first, since older versions don't have these commands. If Projects is missing, remember it's Pro and Max only and still rolling out. Check under More, or join the waitlist.

FAQ

Is Claude 2.0 a new model?

No. The videos calling it Claude 2.0 are showing the redesigned Claude Code desktop app, which Anthropic released in April 2026. No model by that name exists.

Are Claude Code side chats saved?

No. Anthropic's docs say the desktop app doesn't save side chats to disk. Copy anything you need before closing the app.

Which plans get Claude Code Projects?

Projects is in public beta for Pro and Max, rolling out gradually with a waitlist. Team and Enterprise plans don't have it yet.

Sources

Checked against official sources on Oct 28, 2026. The character in our posts is made with AI; the text is written with AI help and checked by hand rules.

Claude Code desktop features: 6 you're probably not using