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AI Q · Guide 1

How to set up Claude on your laptop and phone

Everything I build with Claude starts from this setup. I did it in one sitting, in about an hour. Here's that hour, step by step, so you can do it tonight.

Time about 1 hour Cost apps are free; some steps need a paid plan Level zero, nothing installed yet

Prologue

The road to thought to motion

People ask me most about thought to motion: the skill I built that turns one thought (a voice note, a text or a video take) into an edited video.

Someone asked how to use it. I owed everyone a short, simple guide. This series is that guide.

  1. 7Thought to motionThe goal
  2. 6Timing and comments
  3. 5A free publishing stack
  4. 4A content inbox
  5. 3Define your brand
  6. 2Give Claude a job
  7. 1Set up ClaudeYou are here
Six layers I built first, bottom up. One guide per layer. This is the ground floor.

Where this road ends

This is what you'll be able to make

One thought, said once. The skill turned it into this video: captions, motion, music, in my brand. I approved every step on the way.

Seven guides from now, you'll make your own. It starts with the setup below.

Where you are
  • Claude in a browser tab, or nothing
  • Every chat starts from zero
  • Claude can't see your stuff
After this hour
  • Claude on laptop and phone, one account
  • A project that remembers your work
  • Drive, Gmail and Calendar connected
  • One laptop folder Claude works in
How I came to it

I started in Claude Code. The desktop app put chat, Cowork and Code in one place. The phone app made Claude available all the time.

Before you start

What you need

Tick these off. Ticks stay saved in this browser.

The picture

What you're connecting

One account in the middle. Tap a box to jump to its step. It turns teal when done.

Your Claude account in the middle, connected to the laptop app, phone app, a project, memory, Google Drive, Gmail, Calendar, a laptop folder and Chrome Your Claudeone account Laptop appstep 1 Phone appstep 2 A projectstep 3 Drive · Gmail · Calendarstep 4 Memorystep 5 A laptop folderstep 6 Chromestep 7 · optional Notificationsstep 8

Narrow screen? Swipe sideways.

The hour

Eight steps

  • What to do
  • How I do it
  • A task to tick
1

Install Claude on your laptop

  1. Downloadclaude.com/download
  2. Open itStart menu or Applications
  3. Sign inor create your account
How I do it

This app is where I work. Claude Code is in the same app, in the Code tab, for when you need it.

Claude's home screen after sign-in: a greeting and an empty message box
Signed in. Web shown; desktop looks the same.
Task
2

Install Claude on your phone

  1. Play Store or App Store
  2. Search Claude by Anthropic
  3. Developer is Anthropic
  4. Install
  5. Sign in, same account as the laptop
How I do it

This made Claude available all the time. When a thought comes, I say it out loud to Claude on my phone, in Hebrew or English, before I lose it.

Google Play search for Claude, showing Claude by Anthropic with its orange icon
Look for Claude by Anthropic, orange icon.
The Claude phone app after sign-in: an empty chat with the message box at the bottom
Signed in. I talk my thoughts in with the microphone.
Task
3

Create your first project

  • Instructions
  • Files
  • Memory
  • Every chat starts in contextA project has its own of each
  1. SidebarProjects
  2. New project
  3. Name + one line on what it's for
  4. Create project

Then open its instructions, paste the starter below and fill in the brackets.

I'm [your name], [what you do]. This project is for [one area of my life or work].
Help me with [the main things you want help with].
Write plainly and keep answers short unless I ask for more.
Ask me before you send, post or delete anything.
How I do it

One project per area of my life: my personal brand, and each venture. Instructions and memory never mix.

The Create a project window, with boxes for the project name and what it's for
The new project window. Web shown; desktop looks the same.
Task
4

Connect Google Drive, Gmail and Calendar

  1. SidebarCustomize
  2. Connectors
  3. Google Drive +
  4. GoogleYour chosen account
  5. Allow

Repeat for Gmail and Google Calendar.

By default Claude asks before every action, and sees only the account you connected.

How I do it

One Drive folder is just for Claude work, with a subfolder per area. I drop things there for Claude.

The Connectors page in Customize, with Google Drive, Gmail and Google Calendar marked as connected
A tick means connected; + means not yet. Web shown; desktop looks the same.
Task
5

Check that memory is on

  1. Settings
  2. Memory
  3. Generate memory from chats

On a paid plan, also turn on Search and reference chats.

Each project keeps its own memory. Scroll down to You to see, edit or delete what Claude remembers.

The Memory page in Settings, with Search and reference chats and Generate memory from chats turned on
My own memory entries are blurred. Web shown; desktop looks the same.
Task
6

Give Claude one folder on your laptop

  1. LaptopNew, ordinary folder
  2. Desktop app+ beside the message box
  3. Add folder
  4. Pick it

Claude can now work on files there while the app is open. By default it asks before deleting anything.

How I do it

Claude can't add a folder itself. I add each one, so I always know what it can reach.

The menu that opens from the + beside the message box in the Claude desktop app, with Add folder near the top
The + menu. Add folder is second.
Task
7

Add Claude to your browser (optional, paid plans)

  1. Chrome Web Store
  2. Claude by Anthropic
  3. Add to Chrome
  4. Sign in
  5. Puzzle piece
  6. Pin Claude
  • ChromeWorks
  • EdgeWorks
  • Other Chromiumlike BraveWorks
  • PhonesNo

It acts in your real browser with your logins. Read Anthropic's safety page first.

How I do it

Claude clicks, but never types my passwords. When a site asks me to sign in or prove it's me, I do it myself.

The Claude icon, an orange starburst, pinned in the browser toolbar next to the puzzle-piece extensions icon
Pinned next to the puzzle piece.
Task
8

Turn on notifications on your phone

How I do it

When Claude needs my approval or finishes something while I'm away, my phone tells me.

Task

Check it works

One prompt to test everything

  1. New chat in your project
  2. Paste this
  3. Approve each action
Check my setup. Show me the 3 newest files in my Google Drive, my calendar events for tomorrow, and the subject lines of my 3 latest unread emails. Then create a file called setup-check.txt in my connected folder with one line: "Claude setup done."
Task

If one part fails, the error usually names it. Go back to that step.

My mistakes

What went wrong for me

These came later, once I used the setup for real.

What happened

I gave Claude a Google Drive folder on my laptop. Drive streamed files instead of keeping copies, so Claude saw nothing new.

What I do now

An ordinary laptop folder. Drive for Desktop syncs it up; Claude works in it directly.

What happened

I sent a big video through the Drive connector. It couldn't fetch a file that large.

What I do now

Small files go through Drive. Big ones go through the laptop folder.

Stay safe

My do's and don'ts

Do

  • Keep one project per area of your life or work.
  • Read what Claude will do before you approve.
  • Start with one folder. Add more when needed.
  • Stay signed in on your phone.

Don't

  • Paste a password into a chat.
  • Connect the wrong Google account.
  • Give Claude your whole drive on day one.
  • Forget you can undo it: remove connectors in Settings or at myaccount.google.com/connections.

Epilogue

You have the ground floor

Claude is on your devices, sees what you allow and remembers your work. It's a capable assistant with no job yet. Guide 2 shows how I give it one.