Jonathon's AI Wiki

Claude Code Week 13 Release Digest (March 23–27, 2026)

4 min read

Source: Anthropic What’s New — Week 13 Type: Release Notes Releases: v2.1.83 → v2.1.85 Date Range: March 23–27, 2026

Six headline features, eleven smaller wins. The standouts: Auto mode (classifier-driven permissions, the missing middle between approve-everything and --dangerously-skip-permissions), computer use lands in the Claude Code Desktop app, PR auto-fix ships on the web, and hooks gain a per-call if filter so a pre-commit check no longer fires for every Bash call.

Headline features

Auto mode (research preview)

Hands permission prompts to a classifier. Safe edits and commands run uninterrupted; destructive or suspicious actions are blocked and surfaced. Cycle to it with Shift+Tab, or pin as default:

// .claude/settings.json
{ "permissions": { "defaultMode": "auto" } }

The middle ground between full prompt-everything and --dangerously-skip-permissions. See CLI reference for --permission-mode auto.

Computer use (Desktop)

Claude controls the actual desktop from the Claude Code Desktop app — open native apps, click through the iOS simulator, drive hardware control panels, verify changes on screen. Off by default, asks before each action. Best for surfaces with no API: GUI-only apps, proprietary tools. Came to the CLI the following week — see Computer Use.

PR auto-fix (Web)

Toggle “Auto fix” in the CI panel after creating a PR on Claude Code on the web. Claude watches CI, fixes failures, handles review nits, pushes until green. CLI-side enable (/autofix-pr) shipped in Week 15.

Transcript search (v2.1.83)

/ in transcript mode (Ctrl+O to open) searches the conversation. n / N step through matches.

PowerShell tool (preview, v2.1.84)

Native Windows tool alongside Bash. Cmdlet pipelines and Windows-native paths without Git Bash translation. Opt in:

{ "env": { "CLAUDE_CODE_USE_POWERSHELL_TOOL": "1" } }

Conditional hooks (v2.1.85)

Hooks gain an if field using permission rule syntax. A pre-commit linter only fires for Bash(git commit *) instead of every Bash call. See Hooks for the full matcher / if story.

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [{
      "hooks": [{
        "if": "Bash(git commit *)",
        "type": "command",
        "command": ".claude/hooks/lint-staged.sh"
      }]
    }]
  }
}

Other wins

  • Plugin userConfig now public — plugins can prompt for settings at enable time, with keychain-backed secrets.
  • Pasted image chips — [Image #N] references positionally so you can talk about specific pasted images later in the conversation.
  • managed-settings.d/ drop-in directory — layered policy fragments for enterprises composing settings from multiple sources.
  • New CwdChanged and FileChanged hook events — direnv-style setups (re-source .envrc on directory change, watch config files for hot-reload).
  • Agents can declare initialPrompt in frontmatter to auto-submit a first turn on spawn.
  • Ctrl+X Ctrl+E opens your external editor (readline-compatible).
  • Interrupting before any response restores your input so you don’t lose what you typed.
  • /status now works mid-response (was previously gated to idle).
  • Deep links open in your preferred terminal, not the first-detected one.
  • Idle-return nudge suggests /clear after 75+ minutes away.
  • VS Code extension: rate-limit banner; Esc-twice rewind picker.

Key Takeaways

  • Auto mode is the new default-recommended permission stance for trusted execution work — between full-approval and bypass.
  • Computer use lands in the Desktop product first; CLI follows the next week. The pair is positioned for “things with no API” — native apps, simulators, hardware control panels.
  • PR auto-fix introduces a fully-cloud continuous-improvement loop on the web product. Pairs with Week 15’s /autofix-pr CLI command for terminal-side enablement.
  • The hook surface keeps tightening: per-call if filter (v2.1.85), CwdChanged/FileChanged events. See Hooks for the integrated picture.
  • Windows users finally get native PowerShell, not Git Bash translation.

Try It

  1. Cycle into auto mode (Shift+Tab until you see the yellow indicator) on your next routine task.
  2. Add an if filter to one of your pre-commit hooks: scope to Bash(git commit *) to cut overhead.
  3. Open a PR on Claude Code on the web, toggle Auto fix in the CI panel, watch one round of failures get auto-resolved.
  4. On Windows, set CLAUDE_CODE_USE_POWERSHELL_TOOL=1 and try a PowerShell-only task (e.g., querying Windows event logs).
  5. In a long session, hit Ctrl+O then /<term> to find that one thing Claude said 200 messages ago.

Graph View

Backlinks