[BUG]

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?

Summary:
Claude Desktop is not logging me into my existing Claude account when I sign in with my Google account. Instead, after successful Google authentication, it redirects me to the onboarding / create account flow as if I were a new user.

Expected behavior:
Signing in with my Google account should take me into my existing Claude account.

Actual behavior:
After Google sign-in, Claude Desktop sends me to onboarding / create account instead of my existing account.

Account details:

Plan: Max

Login method: Google

Email: emailme.benlee@gmail.com

Affected platforms: Claude Desktop and browser

Troubleshooting already attempted:

Continue with Google

Continue with email

Incognito/private browser

Cleared cookies/cache

Removed Claude from Google connected apps and reauthorized

Retried in browser and Claude Desktop

Result:
None of the above fixed the issue. I am still redirected to onboarding instead of my existing account.

Impact:
I cannot access my existing Claude account from Desktop or browser, and the product appears to treat my existing Google login as a new account flow.

Request:
Please investigate whether this is an account-linking / OAuth redirect / onboarding-state bug for existing users, and whether the Google identity is failing to map to the existing Claude account.

What Should Happen?

Claude Desktop should recognize my account and let me login without trying to onboard as a new account

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

You can use these for Steps to reproduce:

Open Claude Desktop while logged out, or sign out of the app first.

Click Sign in with Google and choose the Google account tied to the existing Claude account (xxxxxx@gmail.com).

Complete the Google authentication flow successfully in the browser.

Allow the browser to redirect back to Claude Desktop. Similar reports describe the redirect/callback stage as the point where the failure happens.

Observe that instead of opening the existing Claude account, the app redirects to onboarding / create account. Reports from other users describe the same redirect-to-onboarding behavior for existing accounts.

If you want a tighter GitHub-style version, use this:

Steps to reproduce:

Launch Claude Desktop while signed out.

Click Continue with Google.

Sign in using an existing Claude account’s Google email.

Complete the Google auth flow in the browser and return to Claude Desktop.

Observe that Claude redirects to onboarding / create account instead of the existing account.

You could also add this line under it:

Actual result: Existing user is treated like a new user and sent to onboarding.

Expected result: Existing user is logged into their current Claude account.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude 1.2581.0 (f10398) 2026-04-14T17:16:40.000Z

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_