---
title: Claude Desktop
---

Claude Desktop can use Ollama Cloud, including Claude Cowork and Claude Code inside the app.

<img
  src="/images/claude-cowork-kimi-k2-6.png"
  alt="Claude Cowork using kimi-k2.6 through Ollama Cloud"
  className="rounded-xl"
/>

## Requirements

- Claude Desktop for macOS or Windows
- An [Ollama API key](https://ollama.com/settings/keys)

Set the key in your shell before launching:

```shell
export OLLAMA_API_KEY=your_api_key
```

## Quick setup

```shell
ollama launch claude-desktop
```

To bring back the usual Anthropic Claude profile later, run:

```shell
ollama launch claude-desktop --restore
```

## Using Ollama Cloud models

After setup, Claude Desktop discovers your available Ollama Cloud models automatically. For example, `kimi-k2.6` appears inside Claude Cowork.

The same models are also available to Claude Code inside Claude Desktop:

![Claude Code using kimi-k2.6 inside Claude Desktop](/images/claude-code-kimi-k2-6.png)

## Configure without launching

```shell
ollama launch claude-desktop --config
```

## Restore normal Claude

Switch Claude Desktop back to its usual profile:

```shell
ollama launch claude-desktop --restore
```


If Claude Desktop is running, use `--yes` to approve the restart automatically:

```shell
ollama launch claude-desktop --restore --yes
```

## Supported with Ollama

Claude Desktop with Ollama currently supports:

- Ollama Cloud as the third-party inference gateway
- Automatic model discovery from Ollama Cloud
- Claude Cowork with Ollama Cloud models
- Claude Code inside Claude Desktop with the same cloud models
- subagents (tell Claude to have subagents inherit the current model) 

Claude Desktop with Ollama does not support yet:

- Web search
- Extensions