Add companion/buddy (Waffleth) language configuration
Status Closed — not planned
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 4 comments · opened Apr 1, 2026 · closed Apr 9, 2026
Feature Request
Description
The companion/buddy feature (Waffleth ghost) currently displays all messages in English. There's no way to configure the language of companion messages.
Current behavior
settings.jsonsupports"language": "Español"for Claude Code UI- Waffleth's speech bubble messages are always in English regardless of the language setting
Requested behavior
Add a configuration option to translate companion messages to the user's configured language. This could be:
- Automatically use the existing
languagefield fromsettings.json - Or add a dedicated
companionLanguagefield
Example
{
"language": "Español"
}Should also make Waffleth speak in Spanish (or whichever language is configured).
Context
Users working in non-English environments would benefit from having the full UI experience in their language, including the companion messages.
4 Comments
+1 — this is a real pain point. I work primarily in Russian, and having the buddy speak only English breaks immersion completely. The buddy feels like a natural part of your environment — until it doesn't speak your language.
The simplest approach: inherit the existing
languagefield fromsettings.jsonthat's already used for Claude Code UI. No new config needed — if Claude Code knows your language, buddy should too.One nuance worth considering: localization isn't just translation. Buddy personality should come through in culturally natural expressions, not word-for-word translated English quips. A snarky Russian buddy and a snarky English buddy should feel equally natural in their respective languages — humor and tone don't translate 1:1.
Related: #41867 also lists localization as a requested feature in the broader buddy progression proposal.
It’s a bit unfortunate, but there is an alternative.
In
~/.claude.json, companion - personality is Buddy’s system prompt.If you add "reply in {your language}" at the very beginning, it works well.
Thank you for trying out the buddy. It was a small April Fools feature and has been removed in the latest release, so closing this as not planned.
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.