[BUG] Remote Control auto-attach not honored on new Claude Code sessions (macOS desktop)

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?

"PushNotification returns 'Remote Control inactive' in fresh sessions with 'Enable remote control by default' = ON"

What Should Happen?

When a new Claude Code session is launched in the macOS desktop app with
"Settings → Claude Code → Enable remote control by default" turned ON, the
session should automatically attach to Remote Control at launch — no
manual /remote-control invocation required.

Concretely, in that session:

• The PushNotification tool should succeed and deliver a push to the

signed-in Claude iOS app (when the account has Max/Pro/Team/Enterprise
and an active iOS session is present in Account → Active sessions).

• /remote-control should report the session as already connected.

This matches the toggle's own description in Settings: "Automatically
connect new local sessions to Remote Control so you can continue them
from the CLI or claude.ai/code."

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to reproduce

Environment

• Claude Code desktop app on macOS (Tahoe 26.x, arm64 / M1)
• Subscription: Claude Max (subscribed via iOS app)
• Settings → Claude Code → Enable remote control by default = ON (verified before starting the session)
• Settings → Account → Active sessions shows a live Claude (iOS) row signed in to the same account

Repro

1. Confirm the toggle above is ON.
2. Confirm a Claude (iOS) row is present in Active sessions.
3. Launch a brand-new Claude Code session in the desktop app (do not reuse an existing one).
4. In that session, invoke the PushNotification tool with any message, e.g. PushNotification(message="test", status="proactive").
5. Do NOT run /remote-control first — the toggle is supposed to make that unnecessary.

Expected

• Tool returns success and a push lands on the iOS app.
• The fresh desktop session is attached to Remote Control automatically (per the toggle's description: "Automatically connect new local sessions to Remote Control so you can continue them from the CLI or claude.ai/code.").

Actual

• Tool returns: Mobile push not sent (Remote Control inactive).
• No push arrives on iOS.
• The local macOS banner still fires (so notifications themselves work).
• Settings → Account → Active sessions shows Claude Desktop (Mac OS X) — Current for this session and a live Claude (iOS) row — i.e. all documented preconditions are met.

Notes

• Manually attempting /remote-control inside the affected session returns Remote Control failed to connect: /login, even though there is no /login slash command in the desktop-app environment and the account is already signed in via Settings → Account.
• Workaround: none found yet — even starting a new session after toggling the setting still reproduces.

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude Desktop app version: 1.8555.2

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_