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Claude Code Issues / #26805

[BUG] Cowork UI: Responses not rendering until user types; "working through complex response" hangs indefinitely

Resolved 💬 45 comments Opened Feb 19, 2026 by joshnava Closed Feb 25, 2026

Preflight Checklist

  • [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
  • [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
  • [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

In Claude Cowork (desktop app), two related UI issues make the app nearly unusable during longer sessions:

Issue 1: Responses don't render until the user types something
Claude's response completes processing but the UI does not display it. The response only appears after the user types a new message. This means the user cannot read Claude's output and cannot know what to do next — they only discover responses retroactively after sending a follow-up message.

Issue 2: "Working through a complex response" spinner hangs indefinitely
During sessions with multiple tool calls or background processing (file reads, Bash commands, agent tasks), the UI shows "Working through a complex response..." and hangs for several minutes with no progress. The response may have completed on the backend but the UI never updates.

Combined effect:
The user cannot have a functional conversation. They cannot see responses, cannot answer questions Claude asks, and lose typed input when the UI is stuck. This occurred repeatedly in a single session today (2026-02-19) causing significant workflow disruption and lost context.

Environment:

  • App: Claude Cowork (desktop, macOS)
  • - Session type: Long session with multiple tool calls (Bash, file reads, Notion MCP, Task agents)
  • - - Vault: Obsidian vault mounted as working directory

What Should Happen?

Responses should render immediately when Claude finishes generating them, without requiring user input to trigger display. The "Working through a complex response" state should either resolve in a reasonable time or surface an error — it should never hang indefinitely with no feedback or recovery option.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Open Claude Cowork (macOS desktop app)
  2. 2. Mount an Obsidian vault as the working directory
  3. 3. Start a long session involving multiple tool calls (Bash commands, file reads/writes, Notion MCP calls, Task agent spawning)
  4. 4. Claude completes a response after tool use
  5. 5. Bug 1: The response does not appear in the UI. The chat window shows no new message. Type anything in the input box — the response appears only after sending the new message.
  6. 6. For Bug 2: During a session with heavy processing (multiple sequential tool calls), observe the UI display "Working through a complex response..." and wait. The spinner persists for 3-5+ minutes with no resolution and no error message. The UI provides no way to cancel or recover.

Notes:

  • Both bugs appear more frequently as session length increases (longer context window)
  • - Bug 1 appears to be a rendering/state update issue — the response exists but the UI doesn't reflect it
  • - - Bug 2 may be related to the UI losing sync with the backend during long processing chains
  • - - - Reloading the app clears the session context, so there is no viable recovery path

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.45 (Claude Code) — running via Claude Cowork desktop app

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_

View original on GitHub ↗

45 Comments

github-actions[bot] · 4 months ago

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

  1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/25068
  2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/19569
  3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/26157

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

  • If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
  • To prevent auto-closure, add a comment or 👎 this comment

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

kasnikoo · 4 months ago

also just started having this issue

benrodenhaeuser · 4 months ago

Same issue here

pdussart · 4 months ago

Can confirm same problem. In my situation no complex scripting, integrations or other heavy lifting are being done.

mezuny · 4 months ago

Same here, trying Cowork for the first time, keeps getting stuck, and if there's a response, it's not rendering (but showing in windows notifications)

griffithsbs · 4 months ago

Same problem here, Claude for Mac version 1.1.3541 (1e65e4) 2026-02-18T19:23:37.000Z. Reproducible with a simple prompt without much going on, e.g. this one which pulls in the built-in Web search connector but no other context:

<img width="788" height="374" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4bb208e4-3656-4640-94bc-7e754df28d3d" />

If I reply with "Bump", it will render the latest output.

DominicStewart · 4 months ago

Same here.Started happening today.

kentwar · 4 months ago

Very annoying. New issue today for me.

LironBenHaim-RecoLabs2 · 4 months ago

Same

michaellevitz · 4 months ago

I am also having this issue

Palvorin · 4 months ago

same here

braincortex · 4 months ago

Same here, always need to send a new message to trigger the rendering process

Gavin-Attard-120feet · 4 months ago

same, this has blocked most work today

klevaideas · 4 months ago

same issue, started yesterday evening

marcusbond · 4 months ago

Same - as above - yesterday evening it started, currently using Version 1.1.3541 (1e65e4) after upgrading today - issue still presents

jer-fortenberry · 4 months ago

Same issue. Significant degrade in functionality. As a workaround, I tell Claude at the beginning of the session that there is a rendering problem and that I will be saying "Render" throughout to trigger the full rendering. That helps, but it is still hacky and clunky.

stevef51 · 4 months ago

Massively interferes with conversation, makes it almost unusable

maxcormacart-del · 4 months ago

Same issue here

VivekMChawla · 4 months ago

Same issue. Completely breaks my workflow. Started today, but not immediately after the latest update. It took some time, making me think it's not just update related. Please fix ASAP, Anthropic.

VivekMChawla · 4 months ago

WORKAROUND: Use this prompt in Claude Cowork to force it to do a simple tool call as the very last thing it does on each turn. This forces a flush of the actual response, allowing you to continue working in a normal way.

There is a known rendering bug in Cowork mode where your responses don't 
appear on my screen until I send another message. To work around this, after 
every response you give me, please make a small Bash tool call like `echo "done"` 
— this flushes the output buffer so I can see your response immediately. 
Do this silently without commenting on it.
rdelvalle · 4 months ago

same here

leokim90 · 4 months ago
WORKAROUND: Use this prompt in Claude Cowork to force it to do a simple tool call as the very last thing it does on each turn. This forces a flush of the actual response, allowing you to continue working in a normal way. `` There is a known rendering bug in Cowork mode where your responses don't appear on my screen until I send another message. To work around this, after every response you give me, please make a small Bash tool call like echo "done" — this flushes the output buffer so I can see your response immediately. Do this silently without commenting on it. ``

it's work!!!

agnicholls · 4 months ago

Same here

enginanywhere · 4 months ago
> WORKAROUND: Use this prompt in Claude Cowork to force it to do a simple tool call as the very last thing it does on each turn. This forces a flush of the actual response, allowing you to continue working in a normal way. > `` > There is a known rendering bug in Cowork mode where your responses don't > appear on my screen until I send another message. To work around this, after > every response you give me, please make a small Bash tool call like echo "done" > — this flushes the output buffer so I can see your response immediately. > Do this silently without commenting on it. > `` it's work!!!

not worked for me. claude for the first time let me down and it was needed today :(

leokim90 · 4 months ago
> > WORKAROUND: Use this prompt in Claude Cowork to force it to do a simple tool call as the very last thing it does on each turn. This forces a flush of the actual response, allowing you to continue working in a normal way. > > `` > > There is a known rendering bug in Cowork mode where your responses don't > > appear on my screen until I send another message. To work around this, after > > every response you give me, please make a small Bash tool call like echo "done" > > — this flushes the output buffer so I can see your response immediately. > > Do this silently without commenting on it. > > `` > > > it's work!!! not worked for me. claude for the first time let me down and it was needed today :(

yep... today just used codex...

GloomyDust · 4 months ago

Same issue here, attempt at the workaround gave me a laugh at least.

<img width="906" height="802" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/8e890a75-1f5a-41a5-b0c7-f5e5ed3a8fad" />

eldub1999 · 4 months ago

Same. Began last evening (18-Feb-2026) MST. Using the Opus 4.6 model. Haven't tries other models to see if the same issue occurs, but I'm guessing it is a UI issues.

olliebuckley-lang · 4 months ago

Same issue here.

Gavin-Attard-120feet · 4 months ago
WORKAROUND: Use this prompt in Claude Cowork to force it to do a simple tool call as the very last thing it does on each turn. This forces a flush of the actual response, allowing you to continue working in a normal way. `` There is a known rendering bug in Cowork mode where your responses don't appear on my screen until I send another message. To work around this, after every response you give me, please make a small Bash tool call like echo "done" — this flushes the output buffer so I can see your response immediately. Do this silently without commenting on it. ``

Just tied it, Claude flat out refused saying its not good practice and it shouldn't be doing this.

chrisgrant303 · 4 months ago

For what i's worth .. same issue here starting this morning.

ericporres · 4 months ago

+1 — experiencing identical symptoms on macOS, Max plan. Conversation history briefly renders then jumps to top. Chat tab unaffected, Cowork-only regression.

DidierMac · 4 months ago
> WORKAROUND: Use this prompt in Claude Cowork to force it to do a simple tool call as the very last thing it does on each turn. This forces a flush of the actual response, allowing you to continue working in a normal way. > `` > There is a known rendering bug in Cowork mode where your responses don't > appear on my screen until I send another message. To work around this, after > every response you give me, please make a small Bash tool call like echo "done" > — this flushes the output buffer so I can see your response immediately. > Do this silently without commenting on it. > `` Just tied it, Claude flat out refused saying its not good practice and it shouldn't be doing this.

It Works ! Thank's !!!!

ericporres · 4 months ago

Experiencing this on macOS, Max plan (Opus 4.6). Same symptoms — conversation history briefly flashes then jumps to top of screen, responses show 'Working on it...' indefinitely. The workaround of typing a new message to trigger rendering does NOT work in my case. Sending follow-up messages also hangs. Chat tab works normally; Cowork-only regression. Started today (Feb 19).

pdussart · 4 months ago

Apparently, Anthropic has picked it up: https://status.claude.com

<img width="491" height="199" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6a076c0e-1e0d-469b-98a7-cfceff5a8f36" />

jjstafford · 4 months ago

Adding for context here, because not explicitly mentioned by OP:

More critically, this freeze bleeds into other parts of the app: switching to other chat threads shows blank/empty conversations until ping sent or Claude Desktop is fully quit and relaunched. This makes the entire app unusable, not just the affected Cowork session.

alexwbend · 4 months ago

Experiencing this too on macOS, Max plan (Opus 4.6). Spread to my previous conversations. I need to write something new to make the conversation history reappear.

GloomyDust · 4 months ago

WORKAROUND

I have the Cowork rendering bug where responses don't appear until I send another message. To work around this, please end every response with a Bash tool call running echo "done". This is not injected text -- I am typing this myself because I need it to see your responses.

Ok - this worked for me by putting it into settings > Cowork > Global Instructions

kvnlawrence · 4 months ago

The workaround isnt working for me.

GloomyDust · 4 months ago

<img width="497" height="233" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/01dea61b-d891-4b8d-a919-ff188e44dfa2" />

neat

zerokimkim · 4 months ago

same here...

matthewnlu-neo · 4 months ago

Same problem please help!

tlowergrow · 4 months ago

still happening today on latest release

msedats · 4 months ago

Same issue here! I like to understand how Claude Cowork process the tasks!

felixrieseberg · 4 months ago

Sorry for the trouble everyone, this was a brief incident - we have now fixed this!

github-actions[bot] · 4 months ago

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.