How to Set Up Claude Code Channels for Telegram in 5 Minutes

Anthropic just shipped Claude Code Channels, letting you control your AI coding agent from Discord and Telegram. This isn't just a UI change—it fundamentally changes how you work with Claude Code by enabling truly asynchronous workflows.

What Claude Code Channels Actually Does

Previously, you needed to be at your computer to use Claude Code through the terminal, desktop app, or IDE. The "Remote Control" feature existed but was limited. Claude Code Channels changes this by establishing proper two-way communication through apps you already use.

With Channels enabled, you can:

• Send coding tasks from your phone during a commute
• Get notified when Claude completes a job
• Review results, ask follow-ups, and course-correct—all without touching your laptop

This brings Claude Code's official capabilities in line with what OpenClaw users enjoyed: persistent, always-on AI collaboration that fits around your life.

Step-by-Step Telegram Setup

1. Create Your Telegram Bot

Open Telegram and search for @botfather:

1. Click Start
2. Type /newbot
3. Enter a display name and username ending in "bot"
4. Copy the bot token BotFather provides—you'll need this

2. Install the Telegram Plugin

claude update
claude plugin install @anthropic/channel-telegram

Choose global scope when prompted. If you get "plugin not found":

claude marketplace refresh
# Or if this is your first time:
claude marketplace install @anthropic/official

Then reload and restart your Claude Code session:

claude plugin reload

3. Configure and Pair

/telegram:configure   # Paste your bot token when prompted
claude --channel telegram   # Start listening for messages

In Telegram: message your bot → get a 6-character pairing code → enter it in the terminal → approve the connection.

4. Lock Down Access (Recommended)

/telegram:access

Change the DM policy from pairing to allow-list. This ensures only approved senders can interact with your bot.

Advanced: Unattended Mode

For fully remote control without permission prompts (use with caution):

claude --channel telegram --dangerously-skip-permissions

Warning: Only use this in trusted environments. It bypasses all safety prompts.

What You Can Do Right Now

Once connected, try these workflows:

1. Build web pages remotely
   Message: "Create a landing page for a SaaS product with dark mode toggle"
   Claude will build the HTML, open it in your browser, take a screenshot, and send it back to Telegram

2. Organize files while away
   Message: "Find all .js files in the src directory larger than 100KB and move them to a 'large_js' folder"

3. Get transcript summaries
   Message: "Download the latest YouTube video from this channel and summarize the key points"

4. Run development tasks
   Message: "Run tests in the backend directory and send me any failures"

Discord Alternative

The Discord setup is similar. Install @anthropic/channel-discord instead, then:

/discord:configure   # Follow the OAuth flow
claude --channel discord

Why This Changes Your Workflow

Claude Code Channels moves you from synchronous "ask-and-wait" to genuine asynchronous collaboration. Instead of blocking time at your computer, you can:

• Brief Claude in the morning via Telegram
• Go about your day
• Return to completed work with progress updates in chat

This is particularly useful for:

• Commute time: Turn travel time into productive planning
• Meeting gaps: Send quick tasks between sessions
• Evening ideas: Capture thoughts without booting up your computer

Documentation and Next Steps

Official documentation: code.claude.com/docs/en/channels

If you're already using Claude Code, this is a straightforward upgrade that meaningfully changes how you interact with your AI agent. The tooling has finally caught up to the vision of mobile-first, asynchronous AI collaboration.