Frequently asked questions.
Supported tools, permissions and plans. Find an answer and get back to your work.
Last updated
Can I monitor Claude and Codex together?
Yes. Sessions from different supported tools appear in the same Island, each with its own name, source and status. Pro shows them together; Free shows one session card at a time.
Which AI tools work with it?
Recent Claude desktop chats and supported Codex app sessions. Coding integrations include Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Copilot, OpenCode, Cline, Qwen Code, Kimi Code CLI and more.
Available actions vary by tool. Find all connections in Settings. Codex support does not include regular ChatGPT chats.
Does it show Claude Cowork tasks?
Yes. While the Claude app is open, Cowork Island shows Cowork tasks in the Claude group, as long as Watch the Claude app (chats and Cowork) is on in Settings > Agents > Claude App. It is on unless you turn it off. When a task asks you something, its card shows “Needs you”, and you answer in the Claude app. Dispatch has a card of its own while it works on this Mac. With Pro or during the trial, clicking a Cowork task's card brings the Claude app forward. To show Cowork tasks, Cowork Island reads what the Claude app keeps on this Mac and doesn't connect to Anthropic.
Do I need a MacBook with a notch?
No. It works with or without a notch, including on external displays. Choose a display in Settings. You’ll need macOS 14 or later.
How do I get started?
Open Cowork Island and follow its permission prompts. You can manage connected tools in Settings. Jump, a Pro feature, may need Accessibility or Automation permission to select a window or tab.
Can I approve requests and answer questions?
Yes, for supported Claude Code requests. Allow or deny an action, or answer a multiple-choice question in the Island. With other tools, you may need to respond in their own app or terminal.
Can I use Shortcuts and Spotlight?
Yes. In Apple’s Shortcuts app, “Count Agents” is free on every plan. The ready-made “Agents That Need Me” shortcut tells you how many agents need you. Spotlight supports it on macOS 26 or later.
With Pro or during the trial, “Get Agent Sessions” lists sessions, “Go to Agent Session” opens one you choose, and “Go to the Next Session That Needs Me” goes to the next session that needs you. The two “Go to” actions use the same Jump behaviour as clicking a card.
Where does Jump take me?
Back to the app or terminal for that session. Supported connections can select its window, tab or pane. Jump doesn’t answer or approve requests. Jump is part of Pro. On Free, clicking a session opens the Pro window instead.
For a Codex chat in a terminal, Cowork Island needs to identify its pane. If it cannot, it shows “Couldn't jump to this chat. Find it in herdr.” or directs you to your terminal instead.
Does marking a session Done stop the agent?
No. Done is a mark in your Island list. It doesn’t delete, close or stop the session. A running agent keeps working, and you can remove the mark at any time.
What stays visible in Focus?
Focus shows Working and Priority sessions by default. You can also include Pending in Settings. Sessions that show as “Needs you” stay visible.
Is Free just a trial?
No. Free keeps working with one session card at a time. A 7-day Pro trial starts by itself, once per Mac, without payment details. When the trial ends, the app returns to Free.
What changes with Pro?
Pro shows all your sessions, lets you jump back to them and adds detailed usage meters, completion sounds and more mascot options. Compare the plans on the homepage.
The Cowork Island Pro window shows the offer and opens checkout in your browser. Its Mascot Shop link opens the shop for extra mascot packs. Purchases started in the app activate automatically after payment when you return to the app.
If activation has not arrived, choose “Check my purchase”. If the app cannot claim the purchase, paste the license key shown on Polar’s page through “Already have a key?”.
What do the usage meters show?
With Pro or during the trial, the meters show available 5-hour and weekly limits for Claude and Codex accounts, not estimates for individual sessions. Claude accounts use their email address when available, and former accounts can keep a recognisable name.
Open the account picker to choose which accounts appear and your main account. The × beside a former Claude account removes it from the list.
A Claude account’s own usage check takes precedence over lower figures that a session merely repeats without evidence of newer usage. A fully used window says “limit reached”. Readings can be unavailable or out of date.
What data does Cowork Island use?
It reads local session activity, including status, names and, where available, recent messages. Licensing uses an online service. The app also sends usage statistics at launch and about once a day, under a random ID and with no content from your sessions. From version 2.1, they also say whether a session has appeared in the app and how many times the Pro window has opened, up to 100. You can turn them off under Settings > General > Privacy > Share usage statistics.
If you set up a remote host over SSH, the app connects to it, installs its hook and plugin files there, and the session events of that host reach your Mac through that connection. From version 2.0, the app no longer forwards hook events to a webhook address. Your AI tools have their own privacy policies.
I denied Automation for my terminal app. How do I turn it back on?
If you denied Automation for your terminal app, re-enable it in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Automation.
How do I verify the download?
Cowork Island is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so macOS checks it when you first open it. To verify the file yourself, compare its SHA-256 with the one published here.
Cowork Island 2.1 (build 174) · CoworkIsland-2.1-b174.dmg
SHA-256 79b07c45a6cfbb8f6aabd52e00e3ee99b4e1d1005f9ef93617758b25abbf0b78
In Terminal: shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/CoworkIsland-2.1-b174.dmg
Where is the community, and how do I report a bug?
The issue tracker and the discussions are public on GitHub. Report a bug or ask a question there, or write to support@coworkisland.com.