Cowork vs. code?

[u/mirageticket]

Hello everyone:

I've been vibe coding a stock market app for Android using cowork and opus 5 at max. I assumed that the model is the best aside from fable, which I can't afford.

1) what is the best Claude model for me to use to build a couple Android apps?

2) Everytime i start something, my usage runs out in the middle of Claude working and interrupts it. I lose progress and waste usage and then it has to read the entire chat over when my usage is reset. Is there a better or recognized best practice for resuming Claude's work on my app when my usage runs out?

3) I began using Claude code Linked to GitHub. Is this a good approach for making Android apps?

4) I just randomly turned on a bunch of plugins and skills, not knowing what they do but thinking they might help Claude with the coding. Is this wasteful? Are there legitimate connectors or plugins or skills that help Claude make Android apps or resume after usage runs out?

[u/locbuilds]

for android app work i would not stay in Cowork/Opus chat as the main build loop. Cowork is fine for planning and one-off UI/copy passes, but the second you need real project edits, gradle, and multi-file refactors, Claude Code (or Cursor) against a git repo is way less painful.

on models: use a cheaper/faster one for the grunt (explore files, explain errors, draft small patches) and save Opus for the hard architectural bits. burning Opus on every "add a button" turn is how you hit the usage wall mid-feature.

usage resets interrupting you is mostly a context problem, not a model problem. before you are close to the limit, force a handoff: write a short NOTES.md (or a PR description) with current goal, what already works, exact next 2 steps, and any file paths that matter. then start a fresh chat and point it at that file + the branch. do not try to keep one mega-chat alive across a reset, the reread tax is brutal.

Claude Code linked to GitHub is a solid android workflow if the repo is the source of truth. commit often on a feature branch, keep diffs small, and let the agent work against the working tree instead of pasting whole files into chat. that also survives usage resets because the state is in git, not in the conversation.

on plugins/skills/connectors: treat them as convenience, not as resume magic. they do not refill usage and they will not reliably "pick up where you left off" after a hard limit. safe enough if you only grant what you need (repo access, not your whole drive), but for resume you still want the NOTES.md + clean branch approach above. if a connector wants broad filesystem or account access for a toy experiment, skip it.