[BUG] Cowork tab missing on macOS — Cowork runtime absent from app bundle (v1.7196.1)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

The Cowork tab has completely disappeared from Claude Desktop on macOS after an automatic update. Cowork was working normally prior to this build. Only Chat and Code tabs are visible.

Root cause confirmed via diagnostic command:
ls /Applications/Claude.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/ | grep -i cowork
→ Returns empty. Cowork runtime is not packaged in this build.

What Should Happen?

Cowork tab should appear in the top navigation bar alongside Chat and Code, as it did before the auto-update.

Error Messages/Logs

Diagnostic command:
ls /Applications/Claude.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/ | grep -i cowork

Result: no output (empty)
Cowork runtime is completely absent from the app bundle.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Claude Desktop auto-updated to v1.7196.1 (abcd65) on macOS
2. Launch the app — only Chat and Code tabs visible, Cowork tab absent
3. Run diagnostic command:

ls /Applications/Claude.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/ | grep -i cowork
→ returns empty (runtime missing from bundle)

1. Full uninstall + manual deletion of ~/Library/Application Support/Claude → reinstall → same result
2. System reboot → same result

Related issues: #37208, #48310, #49428, #50722

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.133 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

Subscription plan: Max
Additional error in Claude Desktop: "Could not attach to MCP server things"
appeared simultaneously with the Cowork tab disappearing.