[BUG] Desktop app: no way to switch project folder without restarting from terminal

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?

The Claude Code desktop app (macOS) has no way to switch the project folder from within the UI. The title bar always shows the folder the app was originally launched from, and there is no "Open Folder" or project switcher option. File > New Conversation opens a new session but stays scoped to the same folder. The only workaround is to quit the app and relaunch it from a different folder via terminal (cd ~/other-project && claude).

What Should Happen?

The desktop app should allow users to open a different project folder without quitting — either via File > Open Folder, a project switcher in the UI, or by supporting multiple project windows simultaneously. Users working on multiple projects need to switch context easily within the app.

Error Messages/Logs

No error messages. This is a missing feature / UX limitation.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Claude Code desktop app (macOS) from a project folder (e.g. Flight_Schedule_Pro)
2. Try to switch to a different project folder (e.g. software_factory) from within the app
3. Check File menu — only shows "New Conversation" and "Open File", no "Open Folder"
4. Try clicking the project name in the title bar — only shows "Show in Finder", "Copy path", "Copy branch name"
5. Try "New session" in the sidebar — creates a new session but stays scoped to the same folder
6. Try dragging a different folder onto the app — opens Cowork tab instead of Code tab
7. Result: no way to switch project folder without quitting the app and relaunching via terminal

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

No, this never worked

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude Code version 2.1.141.

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

This issue is specifically with the Claude Code desktop app (not the CLI).
The app does not provide any UI mechanism to switch the working project folder.
Workaround: quit the app and relaunch via terminal from the desired folder.