Three Claude settings most people skip

I spent months using Claude with the default settings on and wondering why I kept having to explain myself from scratch in every new conversation.

It felt like talking to someone with no short-term memory.

The fix was three settings. They take about ten minutes in total, and they change how every session runs after you set them.

First: turn memory on.

Go to Settings, then Privacy, and make sure memory is switched on. This is what lets Claude remember who you are across conversations. Without it, every session starts from zero.

Second: connect your tools.

Open Cowork, tap the plus sign, then Connectors. Link Gmail, your calendar, and whatever else your business actually runs on. Claude can now take actions inside those tools without you re-explaining the context every time.

Third: set a personal preference.

Go to Settings, then Customise. Write one line about how you want Claude to respond. Mine says: do not summarise, be direct. That one line cuts half the filler out of every response I get back.

Ten minutes, done once. After that, Claude remembers you, works inside your tools, and responds the way you want it to.

You will notice the difference in the first conversation after you do.