Claude Code Now Starts in Auto Mode on Every Plan and Provider
Claude CodeClaude Code 2.1.284 changed interactive terminal and VS Code sessions to start in auto mode whenever no permission mode is configured, on every plan and provider. The permissions.defaultMode setting still overrides the new default. This extends the previous release, which had made auto mode the default only for third-party providers and telemetry-off sessions.
Key Takeaways
Interactive terminal and VS Code sessions now start in auto mode when no permission mode is configured.
The default now applies on every plan and provider, not only third-party providers and telemetry-off sessions.
permissions.defaultMode still overrides the new default, so a stricter starting mode can be pinned.
Users who never set a mode will notice fewer approval prompts on routine work from the first session.
Auto mode's out-of-directory read prompt gained a "Yes, but ask again next time" answer for one-off approvals.
The change builds on 2.1.283, which had introduced the auto-mode default for a narrower set of sessions.
Auto Mode Becomes the Starting Point
Claude Code 2.1.284, released on September 28, 2026, changed the default permission behavior of interactive sessions. Terminal and VS Code sessions now start in auto mode when no permission mode has been configured, and the change applies on every plan and every provider.
The previous release, 2.1.283, had already made auto mode the default for interactive sessions on a third-party provider and for sessions running with telemetry off. Version 2.1.284 removes those conditions, so the same default now holds for everyone who has not chosen a mode.
What Users Should Expect
In auto mode, Claude Code decides for itself which actions are safe to run without asking, and it still stops to ask about riskier ones. Users who previously opened a session and got the standard prompt-for-approval behavior will now see fewer interruptions on routine work, but they should be aware that the starting mode has changed.
Auto mode also received a small refinement in the same release. When it asks before a read outside the working directories, the prompt now offers a "Yes, but ask again next time" answer. This lets a user allow one read while still being asked about later ones.
Keeping the Old Behavior
The new default only applies when nothing is configured. Setting permissions.defaultMode in a settings file overrides it, so teams and individuals who want a stricter starting mode can pin it explicitly. Managed policies continue to take precedence in the usual way.