[Feature Request] Unify folder selection across Chat, Cowork, and Code tabs

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Problem Statement
There's a significant UX inconsistency in how folders are handled across the three Claude Desktop tabs:

✅ Chat tab: Can select/upload folders
✅ Cowork tab: Can select folders
❌ Code tab: Cannot select folders - only connect to GitHub repos or specific paths

This creates a fragmented experience where users need to understand different mental models for essentially the same action: "work with my files."

Additional Pain Point: Projects Don't Span All Tabs
The inconsistency is compounded by the fact that Projects don't integrate with the Code tab:

You can create a Project in Chat
Projects don't carry over to Code
You can't have Chat, Cowork, AND Code working together within a single Project context

This breaks the natural workflow where a user might:

Discuss architecture in Chat (within a Project)
Have Cowork create files (within the same Project)
Use Code to implement features (but now you're outside the Project context)

Proposed Solution

Proposed Solution
Short-term: Add folder selection capability to the Code tab, matching the UX pattern already established in Chat and Cowork.
Long-term: Allow Projects to span all three tabs (Chat, Cowork, Code) so that folder context, custom instructions, and conversation history are shared across the entire workspace.

Current Workaround
Users have to:

Manually navigate to folders in terminal when using Code
Switch between tabs and lose context
Mentally track which tab has access to which folders

Why This Matters
The three-tab system is powerful, but the inconsistent folder access creates unnecessary friction. Users shouldn't need to learn three different paradigms for accessing their files. The interface should adapt to the task, not force users to adapt to the interface.

User Impact

Reduces cognitive load (one folder selection pattern instead of three)
Enables seamless workflows across Chat → Cowork → Code
Makes Projects actually useful for development workflows
Lowers the barrier for non-technical users to try Code

Note: This feedback comes from an active Claude user working on a full-stack development project who regularly uses all three tabs.

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

Critical - Blocking my work

Feature Category

CLI commands and flags

Use Case Example

_No response_

Additional Context

_No response_