Claude Code 2.1.197

Claude Code now defaults to Sonnet 5, with a native 1-million-token context window (context window, how much of the conversation the AI can remember at once; a token is the small chunk of text the AI reads and writes in) — meaning one conversation can now hold more code or documents without the AI forgetting what came before. From now through August 31, pricing is a promotional $2-$10 per million tokens.

When the AI mentions or attaches a file in chat, you used to have to switch to Finder or Explorer yourself and hunt for it. Now Cmd-click (Mac) or Ctrl-click (Windows/Linux) on the attachment jumps straight to that file, already selected, in your file manager. It's like a delivery slip that walks you straight to the right shelf instead of making you dig through the warehouse yourself.

/code-review (the command that has the AI review your code for problems) used to run five separate 'issue-finder' passes behind the scenes. Now they're merged into one pass — same review quality, but token usage (token, the unit the AI's reading/writing is metered in, which is also what your usage quota counts) drops by roughly a quarter. It's like replacing five separate security guards each patrolling once with one experienced guard who covers the whole route in a single pass — same coverage, a quarter less payroll.

When you press ! in Claude Code to drop into bash mode (typing raw terminal commands directly, bypassing the AI), typing a file path now triggers live autocomplete (autocomplete, a suggestion list that pops up partway through typing) — no need to remember and spell out exact folder names yourself. It's like a search engine that starts suggesting what you're looking for before you've finished typing.

Once you ran /clear (the command that wipes the current conversation so the AI forgets everything before it), there used to be no going back. Now /rewind (the command that rolls the conversation back to an earlier point) can reach back to before a /clear, giving you a second chance. It's like a paper shredder that used to be final — now there's a reconstruction machine next to it that can piece the strips back together.

When the AI streams its answer (streaming, writing text out token by token instead of waiting until it's fully done), the system used to redraw the screen every single time a little new text arrived, which was hard on your machine. Now text updates are batched and redrawn once every 100 milliseconds (a thousandth of a second), cutting CPU usage (CPU, your computer's 'brain' that does the actual computing) by roughly a third. It's like a waiter who used to run to the kitchen for every single bite of food, now waiting to carry out a full round of dishes at once — fewer trips, less out of breath.