[FEATURE] Desktop: add a description and usage warning to Ultracode in the Effort menu

Status Open
Reported on v2.1.295
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Oct 14, 2026

<img width="509" height="274" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8ab50245-87de-42be-8fab-1c1941d2c8b5" />

Environment

  • Claude Desktop for Windows 2.37337.1.0, Code tab
  • Claude Code 2.1.295 (bundled), model claude-opus-5-5

Problem

The Effort submenu in the composer's model picker explains most of its options:

  • the header says that higher effort is more thorough but slower and uses limits faster
  • Medium has a "Recommended" badge
  • Max has a warning badge: "3.5× or more usage"

Ultracode, the last item (shown in purple), has no description, badge or usage warning. Nothing in the menu says what it does or that it differs from the effort levels above it. A user who doesn't know the term has to guess, or find out by turning it on.

As far as I can tell, Ultracode is not a higher reasoning level. It is a standing opt-in to multi-agent orchestration: Claude runs a workflow with several subagents for every substantive task. So it probably uses limits even faster than Max, but it is the one option without a warning.

Proposal

  1. Add a one-line description to Ultracode, like the menu header, for example: "Runs multi-agent workflows for substantial tasks — most thorough, slowest."
  2. Add a usage warning badge like Max has, with a realistic multiplier or wording such as "Highest usage".
  3. Optionally, a tooltip or "Learn more" link to docs explaining how Ultracode relates to the effort levels (e.g. which reasoning effort it uses, see #97442).

Related

  • #97442: choose reasoning effort when ultracode is on
  • #102095: effort level moved into a submenu
  • #99489: iOS effort picker reverts Ultracode to Extra

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