anthropics / anthropics/claude-code
Desktop: Chat/Cowork mode picker only appears on cold app launch
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 145k
- Forks
- 23.1k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
Description
### What happens
The Chat/Cowork mode toggle is visible on the empty composer when the desktop app is launched. Once a conversation has started, the toggle disappears and that conversation is permanently locked to the mode it began in.
`Cmd+N` (new conversation) returns to the picker, but there is no way to switch an in-flight conversation.
### Expected
Mode should be switchable mid-conversation, or the picker should remain reachable without starting a new conversation.
### Impact
Choosing the wrong mode means abandoning the thread and re-establishing context in a fresh one.
### Environment
Claude desktop app, macOS.
### Related
#50341 — with Cmd+1/Cmd+2/Cmd+3 not working, a hidden picker leaves no switching path at all.
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
Research direction
Start by tracing the desktop app's empty composer, mode picker, conversation state, and Cmd+N flow. Confirm how Chat/Cowork is selected at launch and verify that the completed behavior allows mode selection during an existing conversation or keeps the picker reachable without abandoning the thread.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- macos
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100