There’s a ghost icon in Claude you’ve probably never clicked. Here it is, plus 5 more features hiding in plain sight that make AI a lot more useful.
None of these need a paid plan. They’re just easy to walk past. Here’s what each one does and exactly where to click.
01
Incognito mode (the ghost icon)
Start a new chat outside a Project and click the ghost icon in the top right. You’ll see a black border and an "Incognito chat" label. The chat stays out of your history, and Claude won’t use your memory or add anything to it.
Use it for health questions, money stuff or anything you don’t want sitting in your sidebar. Click the X when you’re done. Once closed, it can’t be reopened.
Good to know: incognito chats are still kept for 30 days for safety, and the ghost icon doesn’t show up inside Projects. (Anthropic’s incognito guide)
02
Voice mode, so you can talk instead of type
This is a real spoken back-and-forth where Claude talks back. It works on every plan, on web, desktop and the mobile apps, and it’s built to work best on your phone.
Tap the sound wave icon next to the microphone in the message box, pick a voice and start talking. Use push-to-talk if you’re somewhere noisy. To change voices on desktop, go to Settings, then Capabilities, and scroll to Voice settings.
I use it on walks to think out loud. You say way more when you talk than when you type, and Claude gets better context. (How voice mode works)
03
Real downloadable files
Claude can make actual Word docs, Excel spreadsheets with working formulas, PowerPoint decks and PDFs. You download them or save them to Google Drive. No copying text into a blank doc.
Just ask: "Make this a downloadable spreadsheet." If it says it can’t, go to Settings, then Capabilities, and turn on Code execution and file creation (called Create and edit files in the newer settings).
It’s on every plan, including Free. (File creation guide)
04
Starred chats
That one chat where Claude nailed your email format is now buried under 200 others. Star it. In the sidebar, click the three dots next to a chat and choose Star. Starred chats stay at the top of your sidebar.
05
Quick entry on Mac
If you have the Claude desktop app on a Mac, double-tap the Option key from any app and Claude pops up. No switching windows.
You can also turn on voice dictation with Caps Lock, or change the shortcut, under Settings, then Desktop app. Dictation needs macOS 14 or later. (Quick entry guide)
06
Memory that actually knows you
Memory is on by default for Free, Pro, Max and Ultra. It’s what turns Claude from a generic chatbot into an assistant that knows your job, your people and how you like things written.
To see what it knows, go to Settings, then Your Claude, and click Manage next to Your memory (it’s Settings, then Memory, in the older layout). Edit or delete anything that’s wrong. You can also just say "remember this" in any chat.
Want it to know you fast? Paste this into a new chat. (How memory works)
Want the next level? Here’s how I set up Claude in 5 steps so it works the way I do.