Add setting to disable or override animated spinner text

Open 💬 3 comments Opened May 31, 2026 by justinlw

Summary

The Claude Code terminal UI displays rotating humorous words (e.g. \"Cogitating\", \"Sauteed\") while the model is processing. There is currently no way to disable or replace these with static text.

Problem

The animated spinner words are distracting during focused work, particularly in a professional or shared environment. The words are often non-sequiturs that interrupt concentration.

Current workarounds

  • prefersReducedMotion: true — simplifies animation but does not change the words
  • statusLine custom command — controls the status bar, but does not affect the spinner

Neither setting addresses the spinner text itself.

Request

Add a settings.json option to either:

  1. Disable the animated spinner text entirely (show nothing, or a static indicator), or
  2. Allow the user to specify a static string (e.g. "spinnerText": "Working...")

Environment

  • Claude Code CLI
  • macOS

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