Claude Code Desktop: The Redesign Playbook

The Claude Code desktop app has been fully redesigned. It now runs multiple sessions in one window, includes a built-in terminal and editor, and has a new sidebar for managing everything in one place.

What's new in the layout

Multiple sessions in one window

New left-hand sidebar

IDE-style interface

What's included in the integrated environment

Built-in terminal

Built-in editor

HTML and PDF previews

Faster diff viewer

CLI plugins still work

The new desktop app is available now for Mac and Windows. Linux users need to wait a few more weeks. Updating takes one click if you already have the app installed.

How to update if you already have the app

One-click update

How to install if you don't have it yet

Fresh install

Platform availability

✅ Mac OS

✅ Windows

❌ Linux

You can now open a Claude Code session directly from a pull request. No manual setup. Jump straight into reviewing, editing, or debugging the PR code from the moment you open it.

What this replaces

The old way

The new way

What you can do once the session is open

Review

Edit

Debug

The preview panel lets you see HTML and PDF outputs render live alongside your session. Right-click the top-right button to enable it. No external browser or tool needed.

How to enable the preview panel

The exact steps

What the panel shows

HTML previews

PDF previews

Diffs

Terminal

The multi-panel layout

What you can stack

Ultra Plan generates a complete implementation plan before Claude writes a single line of code. You review it, refine it, and only then decide whether to execute - in the cloud or in your terminal.

What Ultra Plan does

The sequence

Why this matters

Where the plan runs

Option 1: Run in the cloud

Option 2: Bring it back to your terminal

When to use Ultra Plan vs just prompting

✅ Use Ultra Plan when

❌ Skip Ultra Plan when