[FEATURE] Add minimize/collapse option for permission dialogs in VS Code extension
Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Jan 20, 2026 by DrJLWilliams Closed Jan 24, 2026
Feature Request
When using Claude Code in VS Code, the permission dialogs are modal and take up a significant portion of the screen (sometimes half), blocking the conversation view. Users cannot see the chat context while deciding whether to approve a command.
Problem
- Permission dialogs block the entire conversation area
- Users lose context of what was discussed before the permission request
- No way to temporarily collapse/minimize the dialog to review the conversation
- This is especially problematic for longer commands or multi-step operations
Proposed Solution
Add a minimize/collapse button to permission dialogs that would:
- Collapse the dialog to a small indicator (e.g., a bar or icon)
- Allow users to scroll through and read the conversation
- Expand back to full dialog when ready to respond
Alternative Solutions
- Make the dialog draggable so users can reposition it
- Add a "peek" mode that shows conversation behind a semi-transparent dialog
- Split-pane view with dialog on one side, conversation on the other
Use Case
User is working on a multi-file refactoring task. Claude proposes a git commit. The permission dialog appears, but the user wants to review what changes were discussed before approving. Currently, they must either approve blindly or reject and lose context.
Environment
- VS Code extension
- All platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux)
This issue has 3 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗