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Claude Code VS Code Extension Redesigns Session Panel and Model Picker

Claude CodeView original changelog

Claude Code 2.1.257 reworked several core parts of the VS Code extension's interface. The session list gained collapsible account, usage, and session-manager sections with a live usage meter, and Delete session became Archive session, moving old sessions into a collapsible archive instead of removing them outright. A new model pill in the input footer opens a model and effort picker directly, and the command menu gained output-style selection alongside its existing slash-command support. Anthropic also fixed third-party provider deployments incorrectly showing claude.ai-only features and repaired several screen-reader announcement bugs.

Key Takeaways

  • "Delete session" is now "Archive session", moving old sessions into a recoverable, collapsible archive instead of removing them permanently.
  • A new model pill in the input footer opens model and effort selection directly, bringing VS Code closer to parity with the terminal CLI's /model and /effort controls.
  • Slash commands moved into a filterable dialog instead of an inline list, matching the treatment already given to the MCP servers menu.
  • The usage meter now shows a value immediately on load instead of appearing blank until a fresh usage fetch completes.
  • Third-party provider deployments (Bedrock, Vertex, others) no longer show claude.ai-only features like remote sessions, dictation, and usage that don't apply to them.
  • Two screen reader bugs were fixed, restoring dropped lines around code fences and headings and correcting mis-paired bold markers in transcript announcements.

From Deleting Sessions to Archiving Them

Claude Code's VS Code extension changed "Delete session" to "Archive session" in version 2.1.257. Archived sessions now move into a collapsible "Archived sessions" group at the bottom of the session list, with an Unarchive action to bring one back, rather than being removed outright. The Ungrouped section of the session list also gained its own collapse toggle, giving developers more control over how a busy session list is organized.

A Model and Effort Picker in the Footer

The extension added a model pill to the input footer that shows the currently selected model and opens the model picker directly, now including an Effort row and a "More models" page for less common choices. This mirrors functionality that has existed in the terminal CLI for some time, closing a gap where VS Code users had less visibility into, and control over, which model and effort level a session was using.

The command menu also gained output style selection, including custom output styles, alongside the slash command and MCP server dialogs. Anthropic changed the action menu so slash commands appear in a filterable "Slash commands" dialog instead of listed inline, and gave the MCP servers dialog the same filter box, making both easier to navigate as the number of available commands and servers grows.

Account, Usage, and Session Management

The session list panel gained collapsible ACCOUNT & USAGE and SESSION MANAGER section headers, showing the signed-in account's email and a usage meter with a "View details" link that opens the full usage dialog. A related bug was fixed where the usage meter stayed blank after the panel first loaded; it now shows the last known usage figure immediately instead of waiting for a fresh fetch.

Fixes for Third-Party Providers and Accessibility

Deployments on Bedrock, Vertex, and other third-party providers were still showing claude.ai-only features, such as remote sessions, dictation, and usage displays, and calling claude.ai with a stale login left over from a previous configuration; this is now fixed so those deployments show only what actually applies to them. The "Enable Remote Control for all sessions" toggle was also fixed to apply to sessions that were already open, not only to new ones opened afterward.

Two screen reader issues were corrected as well: a stray control character before a code fence or heading no longer causes visible lines to be dropped from speech output, and bold markers that spanned a heading are no longer mis-paired, which had previously garbled how headings were announced.