[BUG] No way to pin a non-default model on a cloud-run Cowork scheduled task

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?

Claude Cowork's scheduled tasks (recurring "Routines") appear to force a choice between two mutually-exclusive things: running in the cloud, or letting you pick which model the task runs on. There's no way to get both.
• Scheduled tasks created via Claude's own "create a scheduled task" tool call from within a chat always inherit a fixed model tied to the underlying cloud environment, regardless of what model the calling session is actually using. I tested this three separate ways in one conversation: (1) switching the session's model via /model claude-sonnet-5 mid-conversation, then creating the task; (2) waiting ~10 minutes after that switch and creating another task; (3) starting what should have been a brand-new chat and picking Sonnet from the model picker before sending any message at all. All three attempts produced tasks pinned to claude-opus-4-8. In all cases the returned environment_id was identical, suggesting the model is a fixed property of the environment itself and not overridable from the session.
• Trying to fix a task's model after creation via the update-routine API fails outright (see error below).
• The only UI path that lets you explicitly choose a model — Settings > Scheduled tasks > New task > "Set up manually" — requires selecting a project, and every project is tied to a local folder on the user's computer. Selecting any project pins the task to on-computer execution (shown by a laptop icon instead of a cloud icon in the task list, plus a banner: "Tasks set to run on your computer only run while it's awake and online"). There is no "no project" / blank option in that folder picker.

What Should Happen?

A user should be able to create a scheduled task that (a) runs in the cloud, independent of whether their computer is on, and (b) runs on a model of their choosing (e.g. Sonnet), rather than being locked to whatever model the environment happened to default to at some earlier point. Ideally the "Set up manually" model dropdown should be available without forcing a local-folder/project association, or the API/tool path for creating scheduled tasks should accept an explicit model parameter.

Expected: a scheduled task that both runs in the cloud and lets the user pick a specific model. Actual: cloud execution and model selection are only available separately, never together.

Error Messages/Logs

Attempting to update an existing routine's model:

failed to update trigger: updating a routine's model is not available (model_update_disabled)
Job config recorded on a freshly-created cloud task, despite the creating session's model being set to Sonnet:

json
"model":"claude-opus-4-8"
(environment_id was identical — env_011111111111111111111117 — across all three creation attempts described above.)

Steps to Reproduce

In Claude Cowork (desktop app), start a chat and switch the session's model to Sonnet, either via the /model command or by selecting Sonnet from the model picker before sending your first message.
Ask Claude to create a scheduled/recurring task (a "Routine") with any prompt and cron schedule.
Once created, inspect the task's model (via the scheduled-task API/tool, or by asking Claude to report the job_config it gets back from creating it). Observe that it shows a different model than the one the session was set to (e.g. claude-opus-4-8 instead of claude-sonnet-5).
Try to fix this by editing the task's model directly (via the update-routine mechanism). Observe the error: updating a routine's model is not available (model_update_disabled).
As a workaround, open Settings > Scheduled tasks > New task > "Set up manually." Notice this modal does expose an explicit model dropdown, and selecting Sonnet here works. However, this modal also requires selecting a project (there is no blank/none option), and every available project is tied to a local folder on the user's computer.
Save the task and return to the Scheduled tasks list. Observe that this manually-created task shows a laptop icon (on-computer/local execution) rather than a cloud icon, and the page displays the banner: "Tasks set to run on your computer only run while it's awake and online" — meaning this task now depends on the user's computer being awake and online at fire time, unlike a cloud task.

Claude Model

Not sure / Multiple models

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude 1.21459.3 (e0f338)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

_No response_