Anthropic makes Claude Code cloud sessions official and offers promotional credits

On Wednesday, 23rd, Anthropic announced that cloud sessions of its programming assistant Claude Code are no longer experimental and are now part of paid plans. To mark the change, the company released a one-time credit: $100 for Pro plan subscribers and $250 for Max plan subscribers, valid until October 7 (equivalent to R$ 513 and R$ 1,280, respectively).

The feature has been available since October 2025 as a research preview. Essentially, the cloud session transfers the programming task from the user’s computer to a virtual machine maintained by Anthropic, allowing the agent to continue working even when the laptop is closed or turned off.

How it works

A session can be started in four ways: via the browser at claude.ai/code; via the code tab in the Claude mobile app; via the desktop app, by selecting the “cloud” option instead of “local”; or via the terminal, using the command claude –cloud followed by the task description. Each command opens an independent session, allowing multiple tasks to be executed simultaneously.

Each session runs on an isolated virtual machine with Ubuntu, a processor, and memory equivalent to those of a typical laptop, and comes with pre-installed tools such as Python, Node, Docker, and Git, according to the company’s documentation.

An important point is that the virtual machine copies the GitHub repository in the branch where it is published, not the version saved only on the user’s computer. Therefore, it is necessary to push local changes to GitHub before starting a task in the cloud; otherwise, the agent will work with an outdated version.

At the end of the session, the user can ask Claude Code to directly open a pull request on GitHub or bring the work back to the local terminal using the claude –teleport command.

Promotional credit is consumed before the normal limit

The company explains that the promotional credit functions as a separate layer that is consumed first. When activating the credit and using cloud sessions, the system deducts the promotional balance before considering the normal usage limit already included in the subscription.

In practice, this allows extensive use of cloud sessions without affecting Claude Code’s regular limit, until the credit runs out—only then does usage revert to being counted under the contracted plan’s rules. A GitHub account must be connected to open a cloud session, and the credit is valid only for this type of session, not for regular Claude use.

The launch took place one day after the company released Claude Opus 5.5, its latest model, which also renewed free usage limits for subscribers. Both announcements reinforce Anthropic’s strategy of making Claude Code less dependent on personal computers and more like a continuous work tool, similar to the AI agents released throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Claude Code in the cloud?

  It is a feature that executes programming tasks on a virtual machine from Anthropic, allowing the agent to continue working even when the computer is turned off.

• How much credit was released?

  $100 for Pro plan subscribers and $250 for Max plan subscribers, valid until October 7.

• How do I start a cloud session?

  Via the browser (claude.ai/code), via the mobile app, via the desktop app (cloud option), or via the terminal (claude –cloud).

• Does the feature work when the computer is turned off?

  Yes, because the task is executed on Anthropic’s virtual machine.

• What tools are installed on the virtual machine?

  Ubuntu, Python, Node, Docker, and Git, according to the company.

• Is local code used by the virtual machine?

  Not necessarily. The virtual machine copies the GitHub repository, so it is necessary to push local changes before starting the session.

• Does the promotional credit affect the plan’s normal limit?

  No. The credit is consumed first, and only after it runs out does usage revert to being counted under the contracted plan.

• Is it necessary to have GitHub to use cloud sessions?

  Yes, it is necessary to connect a GitHub account to open a session. The credit is valid only for this feature.