Press Shift+Tab to Toggle Between Plan Mode and Act Mode
Sometimes you want Claude to think before it does. Plan mode tells Claude to analyze, outline, and discuss an approach without actually editing files or running commands — and you toggle it with one keystroke.
# While typing your prompt, press:
Shift+Tab
You'll see the mode indicator change at the bottom of the input. In plan mode, Claude reads code, explores the codebase, and proposes a strategy. In act mode (the default), it goes ahead and makes the changes.
This is especially useful for:
- Big refactors — ask Claude to plan the approach before it touches 20 files
- Unfamiliar codebases — have Claude map out the architecture before diving in
- Risky changes — review the plan, ask questions, then switch back to act mode and say "go ahead"
A typical workflow looks like this:
# 1. Toggle to plan mode with Shift+Tab
# 2. Type: "How would you refactor the auth middleware to support API keys?"
# 3. Review Claude's plan
# 4. Toggle back to act mode with Shift+Tab
# 5. Type: "Do it" or refine the approach
You can also enter plan mode with the /plan command, but Shift+Tab is faster when you're already composing a prompt. The mode persists until you toggle it again — you can have a whole multi-turn planning conversation before switching back.
Plan first, act second — Shift+Tab makes the switch instant.
via Claude Code
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When typing feels slow — describing a complex bug, explaining architecture, or thinking through a problem out loud — press Option+V to switch to voice input. Speak naturally and Claude Code transcribes your words into a prompt, so you can describe what you need at the speed of thought.
When Claude is heading down the wrong path — editing the wrong file, writing code you don't want, or giving a long explanation you don't need — press Escape to stop it immediately. You keep everything it did up to that point and can redirect with a new prompt.
Closed a session and realized you weren't done? Pass --continue (or -c) when launching Claude Code to pick up exactly where you left off — same context, same files, same conversation history — without re-explaining what you were working on.