Add slash command to change to plan mode

Hey, just another user here, but I ran into a similar need and dug through the docs. This is a great idea for accessibility, especially on touch devices. A built-in /plan command would be super useful!

While we wait to see if the team adds it, I found a couple of workarounds that might help you out right now.

Workaround 1: Start Claude in Plan Mode

You can launch claude with a command-line flag to start it directly in plan mode. This way, you don't need the key combination at all for that session.

According to the CLI reference documentation, you can use the --permission-mode flag:

claude --permission-mode plan

This will start your session in plan mode from the get-go.

Workaround 2: Set Plan Mode as Your Default

If you find yourself using plan mode a lot, you can make it the default for a specific project or for all your projects.

The settings documentation shows you can add a defaultMode to your settings.json file.

• For just one project, edit .claude/settings.json in your project's root.
• For all projects, edit ~/.claude/settings.json.

Add this to the file:

{
  "permissions": {
    "defaultMode": "plan"
  }
}

Now, whenever you run claude in that context, it will start in plan mode automatically.

Workaround 3: Create a "Soft" Custom Slash Command

The custom slash commands documentation shows they are primarily for inserting prompts, not for changing the application's internal state like the permission mode.

However, you could create a "soft" version that instructs Claude to behave as if it were in plan mode. It's not a true lock, but it works surprisingly well.

1. Create the command file. For a personal command available everywhere, do this:

``bash
mkdir -p ~/.claude/commands
``

1. Create a file named plan.md inside that directory with the following content:

``markdown
---
description: Instruct Claude to only analyze and plan, without executing or editing.
---
Please adopt a "plan mode" persona for the rest of this conversation. You are only allowed to analyze the codebase, read files, and suggest plans. You must not use any tools that modify files (like Edit or Write) or execute commands (like Bash). When I ask you to perform a task, your response should be a plan for how a developer could implement it, not an attempt to implement it yourself.
``

Now, inside any claude session, you can just type /plan, and it will instruct the model to stick to analysis only.

Hope this helps you get unblocked on your tablet while the official feature is considered

i'm also highly interested in a direct way to switch to modes. right now i watch it switch between these options:

• ? for shortcuts
• ⏵⏵ accept edits on (shift+tab to cycle)
• ⏸ plan mode on (shift+tab to cycle)
• ⏵⏵ bypass permissions on (shift+tab to cycle)

so depending where i am in that list, it's N number of shift tab presses. would love to be able to have or map a keybind to just jump to the mode i want.

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Additional Use Case: defaultMode not respected after /clear

I have defaultMode: "plan" configured in my settings:

{
  "permissions": {
    "defaultMode": "plan"
  }
}

Problem: This works correctly on fresh startup, but after /clear, the current permission mode is preserved instead of resetting to defaultMode. This means I have to manually press Shift+Tab after every /clear to get back to plan mode.

The Asymmetry Problem

There's an interesting asymmetry in Claude Code's design:

• ✅ ExitPlanMode tool exists – Claude can programmatically leave plan mode
• ❌ EnterPlanMode tool does not exist – no way to programmatically enter plan mode

This means:

• Hooks can read permission_mode but cannot set it
• Skills/slash commands cannot trigger plan mode
• The only way to enter plan mode is via Shift+Tab or --permission-mode plan at startup

Proposed Solutions (any of these would help)

1. /plan slash command – as originally requested
2. EnterPlanMode tool – symmetric counterpart to ExitPlanMode
3. Respect defaultMode after /clear – reset to configured default instead of preserving current mode
4. Hook output option – allow hookSpecificOutput.permissionMode in SessionStart hooks

Option 3 would be the most seamless fix – if defaultMode were respected after /clear, users who configured it would get their expected behavior automatically without any extra steps.

A /plan slash command would be a good general-purpose addition for all users.

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This issue was closed incorrectly despite recent human comments. This behavior of the bot is reported at https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/16497. Please upvote that issue, so maybe it gets noticed.

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