Claude Code Desktop Can Now Resume Sessions Started in the Terminal
Claude Code can now move a terminal-started session into the Claude Code desktop app. Anthropic says users can type /resume, choose a CLI session, and continue with the full conversation and context intact.
Claude Code can now resume a terminal session in the Claude Code desktop app. Anthropic's ClaudeDevs account says to type /resume, select a session started from the CLI, and continue in the app with the full conversation and context intact. (ClaudeDevs on X)
What the handoff changes
The feature is useful when a task starts in a terminal but is easier to monitor or continue in a graphical workspace. Instead of starting a separate desktop conversation and repeating the task, you can open the session picker in Desktop and choose the existing CLI session. Anthropic's announcement does not claim that the two surfaces become one shared history; it describes a way to continue the selected session in the app. (ClaudeDevs on X; Claude Code session docs)
Anthropic's session documentation defines a session as a saved conversation tied to a project directory. Claude Code stores sessions locally as it works, and the transcript includes the conversation's tool calls and results. That saved state is what makes a resume flow different from copying the last prompt into a new chat. (Claude Code session docs)
How to use it
- Start or continue a Claude Code task from the terminal.
- Open Claude Code Desktop on the same machine and sign in with the subscription account associated with the session.
- Type
/resumein Desktop. - Pick the session that began in the CLI.
- Check the project and recent tool activity, then continue the task.
The announcement names /resume as the entry point and does not publish a separate version number, plan matrix, or operating-system rollout schedule. Do not infer broader availability from the announcement. (ClaudeDevs on X)
What comes with the resumed session
Anthropic's durable session documentation says a resumed session can restore:
- Conversation history, including tool calls and results.
- The model, subject to retirement, availability, and launch-time model overrides.
- The active agent, when it is still available in the original or resumed project.
- The active goal, when one was running.
The documentation also lists things that are not automatically restored, including background Bash and monitor tasks. Flags such as --mcp-config, --settings, --plugin-dir, --fallback-model, and directories added with --add-dir may need to be supplied again when using the CLI resume path. Those details are relevant when a terminal session depends on a custom tool setup. (Claude Code session docs)
Desktop and CLI are still distinct surfaces
Anthropic's Desktop documentation says Desktop and CLI maintain separate session histories even though they use the same underlying engine. They share project configuration and memory through files such as CLAUDE.md, but a user should not assume that every session automatically appears in every surface. (Claude Code Desktop docs)
That distinction gives the new handoff a practical boundary: use it to move a chosen terminal conversation into Desktop, not as a promise that terminal, Desktop, web, and VS Code all expose identical session lists. The Desktop documentation separately notes that its cross-session surface does not show terminal-CLI sessions, which is different from the explicit /resume handoff announced here. (Claude Code Desktop docs)
A safer workflow
Before continuing a long-running or consequential task in Desktop:
- Confirm the selected session's project directory.
- Review the last tool result and any pending permissions.
- Re-check MCP servers, plugins, and extra directories if the task relies on them.
- Inspect the working tree before asking Claude to make more changes.
- Keep the terminal available if you need to compare the original session's environment.
The value is continuity across interfaces. The feature removes a common context-transfer step, while Anthropic's documented session and configuration boundaries still apply.
Sources
- ClaudeDevs on X, “You can now resume your terminal sessions in the Claude Code desktop app,” August 28, 2026: https://x.com/ClaudeDevs/status/2093368017304371503
- Claude Code documentation, “Manage sessions”: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sessions
- Claude Code documentation, “Desktop application”: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop
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Frequently Asked Questions
What changed in Claude Code Desktop?
ClaudeDevs says the desktop app can now resume terminal sessions. Type `/resume` in the app, choose a session started from the CLI, and continue with its conversation and context.
What does Claude Code restore when a session is resumed?
Anthropic's session documentation says a resumed session restores conversation history, including tool calls and results. The exact desktop handoff announcement describes the full conversation and context as continuing in the app.
Does the CLI and desktop app share session history?
The announcement describes selecting a CLI-started session from the desktop app. Anthropic's documentation still distinguishes the desktop and CLI histories, so this should be treated as a deliberate handoff rather than one undifferentiated history view.
What should I do if a session does not appear?
Use the CLI's normal `claude --resume` or `/resume` flow to confirm the session exists. Anthropic documents that session lookup depends on saved transcripts and that some session types, such as certain non-interactive runs, are excluded from the desktop-style picker.