●Change8

Claude Code: What's New in January 2026

A summary of all updates, new features, and bug fixes released for Claude Code during January 2026.

9releases24features40fixes24improvements
← December 2025

New Features in January 2026

  • Added `auto:N` syntax for configuring the MCP tool search auto-enable threshold based on context window percentage (0-100).(v2.1.9)
  • Added `plansDirectory` setting to customize the storage location for plan files.(v2.1.9)
  • Enabled external editor support (Ctrl+G) within the AskUserQuestion "Other" input field.(v2.1.9)
  • Added session URL attribution to commits and PRs generated from web sessions.(v2.1.9)
  • Added support for `PreToolUse` hooks to return `additionalContext` to the model.(v2.1.9)
  • Added `${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID}` string substitution for skills to access the current session ID.(v2.1.9)
  • Added `showTurnDuration` setting to allow users to hide turn duration messages in the output.(v2.1.7)
  • Enabled MCP tool search auto mode by default, deferring tool descriptions that exceed 10% of the context window to reduce upfront context usage.(v2.1.7)
  • Added search functionality to the /config command for quickly filtering settings.(v2.1.6)
  • Added Updates section to /doctor showing auto-update channel and available npm versions (stable/latest).(v2.1.6)
  • Added date range filtering to the /stats command, allowing cycling between Last 7 days, Last 30 days, and All time.(v2.1.6)
  • Added automatic discovery of skills from nested .claude/skills directories when working with files in subdirectories.(v2.1.6)
  • Added context_window.used_percentage and context_window.remaining_percentage fields to the status line input for easier context window display.(v2.1.6)
  • Added an error display when the editor fails during Ctrl+G.(v2.1.6)
  • Added CLAUDE_CODE_TMPDIR environment variable to allow overriding the default temporary directory used for internal files.(v2.1.5)
  • Added CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_BACKGROUND_TASKS environment variable to allow users to disable all background task functionality, including auto-backgrounding and the Ctrl+B shortcut.(v2.1.4)
  • Added a release channel toggle ('stable' or 'latest') accessible via the `/config` command.(v2.1.3)
  • [VSCode] Added a clickable destination selector for permission requests, allowing users to choose where settings are saved (this project, all projects, shared with team, or session only).(v2.1.3)
  • Added source path metadata to images dragged onto the terminal to help Claude understand image origins(v2.1.2)
  • Added clickable hyperlinks for file paths in tool output in terminals that support OSC 8 (like iTerm)(v2.1.2)
  • Added support for Windows Package Manager (winget) installations with automatic detection and update instructions(v2.1.2)
  • Added Shift+Tab keyboard shortcut in plan mode to quickly select "auto-accept edits" option(v2.1.2)
  • Added FORCE_AUTOUPDATE_PLUGINS environment variable to allow plugin autoupdate even when the main auto-updater is disabled(v2.1.2)
  • Added agent_type to SessionStart hook input, populated if --agent is specified(v2.1.2)

Bug Fixes in January 2026

  • Fixed API errors related to orphan tool_result blocks occurring during long sessions with parallel tool calls.(v2.1.9)
  • Fixed MCP server reconnection hanging when the cached connection promise fails to resolve.(v2.1.9)
  • Fixed Ctrl+Z suspend functionality not working in terminals utilizing the Kitty keyboard protocol (including Ghostty, iTerm2, kitty, and WezTerm).(v2.1.9)
  • Fixed a security vulnerability where wildcard permission rules could incorrectly match compound commands containing shell operators.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed false "file modified" errors occurring on Windows due to cloud sync tools or antivirus scanners touching file timestamps without content changes.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed orphaned `tool_result` errors when sibling tools failed during streaming execution.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed context window blocking limit calculation to use the effective context window (reserving space for max output tokens) instead of the full context window.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed a visual glitch where the spinner briefly flashed when running local slash commands like `/model` or `/theme`.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed terminal title animation jitter by utilizing fixed-width braille characters.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed plugins with git submodules not being fully initialized upon installation.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed bash commands failing on Windows when temporary directory paths contained characters like `t` or `n` that were misinterpreted as escape sequences.(v2.1.7)
  • [VSCode] Fixed an issue where the `claudeProcessWrapper` setting was incorrectly passing the wrapper path instead of the Claude binary path.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed permission bypass via shell line continuation that could allow blocked commands to execute.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed false "File has been unexpectedly modified" errors when file watchers touch files without changing content.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed text styling (bold, colors) getting progressively misaligned in multi-line responses.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed the feedback panel closing unexpectedly when typing 'n' in the description field.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed rate limit warning appearing at low usage after weekly reset (now requires 70% usage).(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed rate limit options menu incorrectly auto-opening when resuming a previous session.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed numpad keys outputting escape sequences instead of characters in Kitty keyboard protocol terminals.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed Option+Return not inserting newlines in Kitty keyboard protocol terminals.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed corrupted config backup files accumulating in the home directory (now only one backup is created per config file).(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed mcp list and mcp get commands leaving orphaned MCP server processes.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed visual artifacts in ink2 mode when nodes become hidden via display:none.(v2.1.6)
  • [VSCode] Fixed usage indicator not updating after manual compact.(v2.1.6)
  • Fixed an issue where the "Help improve Claude" setting fetch would fail due to a stale OAuth token; it now correctly refreshes OAuth and retries the fetch.(v2.1.4)
  • Fixed plan files persisting across `/clear` commands, ensuring a fresh plan file is used after clearing a conversation.(v2.1.3)
  • Fixed false skill duplicate detection on filesystems with large inodes (e.g., ExFAT) by implementing 64-bit precision for inode values.(v2.1.3)
  • Fixed mismatch between the background task count displayed in the status bar and the items shown in the tasks dialog.(v2.1.3)
  • Fixed sub-agents using the incorrect model during conversation compaction.(v2.1.3)
  • Fixed web search in sub-agents using the incorrect model.(v2.1.3)
  • Fixed trust dialog acceptance when running from the home directory, ensuring trust-requiring features like hooks are enabled for the session.(v2.1.3)
  • Fixed a command injection vulnerability in bash command processing where malformed input could execute arbitrary commands(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed a memory leak where tree-sitter parse trees were not being freed, causing WASM memory to grow unbounded over long sessions(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed binary files (images, PDFs, etc.) being accidentally included in memory when using @include directives in CLAUDE.md files(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed updates incorrectly claiming another installation is in progress(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed crash when socket files exist in watched directories(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed remote session URL and teleport being broken when using /tasks command(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed MCP tool names being exposed in analytics events by sanitizing user-specific server configurations(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed usage display not updating after manual compact in VSCode(v2.1.2)
  • Fixed issue with macOS code-sign warning when using Claude in Chrome integration(v2.0.76)

Improvements in January 2026

  • Added the ability to provide feedback directly when accepting permission prompts.(v2.1.7)
  • Added inline display of the agent's final response in task notifications, allowing users to see results without opening the full transcript file.(v2.1.7)
  • Improved typing responsiveness by reducing memory allocation overhead during terminal rendering.(v2.1.7)
  • Fixed jitter in the terminal title animation.(v2.1.7)
  • Changed OAuth and API Console URLs from `console.anthropic.com` to `platform.claude.com`.(v2.1.7)
  • Improved the external CLAUDE.md imports approval dialog to show which files are being imported and from where.(v2.1.6)
  • Improved the /tasks dialog to go directly to task details when there's only one background task running.(v2.1.6)
  • Improved @ autocomplete with icons for different suggestion types and single-line formatting.(v2.1.6)
  • Updated "Help improve Claude" setting fetch to refresh OAuth and retry when it fails due to a stale OAuth token.(v2.1.6)
  • Changed task notification display to cap at 3 lines with overflow summary when multiple background tasks complete simultaneously.(v2.1.6)
  • Changed terminal title to "Claude Code" on startup for better window identification.(v2.1.6)
  • Merged slash commands and skills, simplifying the mental model without changing user behavior.(v2.1.3)
  • Added detection and warnings for unreachable permission rules, providing source information and actionable fix guidance in `/doctor` and after saving rules.(v2.1.3)
  • Improved terminal rendering stability by preventing uncontrolled writes from corrupting cursor state.(v2.1.3)
  • Improved slash command suggestion readability by truncating long descriptions to 2 lines.(v2.1.3)
  • Increased the tool hook execution timeout from 60 seconds to 10 minutes.(v2.1.3)
  • Improved Option-as-Meta hint on macOS to show terminal-specific instructions for native CSIu terminals like iTerm2, Kitty, and WezTerm(v2.1.2)
  • Improved error message when pasting images over SSH to suggest using scp instead of the unhelpful clipboard shortcut hint(v2.1.2)
  • Improved permission explainer to not flag routine dev workflows (git fetch/rebase, npm install, tests, PRs) as medium risk(v2.1.2)
  • Changed large bash command outputs to be saved to disk instead of truncated, allowing Claude to read the full content(v2.1.2)
  • Changed large tool outputs to be persisted to disk instead of truncated, providing full output access via file references(v2.1.2)
  • Changed /plugins installed tab to unify plugins and MCPs with scope-based grouping(v2.1.2)
  • Deprecated Windows managed settings path C:\ProgramData\ClaudeCode\managed-settings.json; administrators should migrate to C:\Program Files\ClaudeCode\managed-settings.json(v2.1.2)
  • Changed minimum zod peer dependency to ^4.0.0 in SDK(v2.1.2)

All Releases in January 2026

v2.1.96 features3 fixes

This release introduces several new configuration and integration capabilities, including customizable plan storage and enhanced session context access via new string substitutions. Several critical bugs were resolved, specifically addressing failures in long parallel tool call sessions and improving terminal suspend functionality across various terminal emulators.

v2.1.72 features9 fixes

This release introduces new configuration options, including the ability to hide turn duration messages and an improved default behavior for managing large tool sets via MCP search auto mode. Several critical bugs were fixed, addressing security vulnerabilities, false file modification errors on Windows, and issues related to context window calculation and command execution.

v2.1.66 features12 fixes

This release introduces several new command-line utilities, including search for /config and date range filtering for /stats, alongside automatic skill discovery in subdirectories. Numerous bugs have been resolved, particularly concerning terminal input handling (numpad, Option+Return) and stability issues with rate limit warnings and configuration backups. The user experience is also enhanced with improved task dialogs and better context window visibility.

v2.1.51 feature

This release introduces a new environment variable, CLAUDE_CODE_TMPDIR, which allows users to specify a custom temporary directory for internal processing files. This is particularly useful for environments with specific temporary storage requirements.

v2.1.41 feature1 fix

This release introduces a new environment variable, CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_BACKGROUND_TASKS, giving users granular control to disable background tasks entirely. Additionally, a critical bug affecting the "Help improve Claude" setting fetch due to stale OAuth tokens has been resolved.

v2.1.32 features6 fixes

This release simplifies the user experience by merging slash commands and skills and introduces a new configuration option to select the release channel ('stable' or 'latest'). Several critical bugs were fixed, including issues with plan file persistence after clearing conversations and incorrect model usage in sub-agents. Additionally, VS Code users gain more control over permission saving destinations.

v2.1.26 features8 fixes

This release introduces several new capabilities, including source path metadata for dragged images and support for winget installations. Key fixes address a command injection vulnerability and memory leaks during long sessions. Additionally, large tool outputs are now saved to disk instead of being truncated, ensuring Claude has access to the full content.

v2.1.1
v2.0.761 fix

This release addresses a specific technical issue related to code signing on macOS when using the Claude integration within the Chrome browser. Users should no longer encounter the code-sign warning.