[FEATURE] Task panel: option to keep it collapsed by default

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

When brainstorming or planning skills create tasks via TodoWrite/TaskCreate, the task panel automatically expands every time a task is created or updated. There is no way to configure the panel to stay collapsed by default. Users who want a less cluttered interface must repeatedly press Ctrl+T to re-collapse the panel during long sessions.

Proposed Solution

Add a settings.json option to keep the task panel collapsed by default:

{ "taskPanel": { "defaultCollapsed": true } }

With this setting enabled, the panel stays collapsed until the user manually opens it with Ctrl+T. Task updates would not trigger automatic expansion.

Alternative Solutions

Do not auto-expand the task panel on task creation/update, regardless of a setting — instead, rely on a visual indicator (e.g., badge or count) to signal pending tasks without expanding the panel.

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Configuration and settings

Use Case Example

When running a skill workflow that creates 5–10 tasks (e.g., superpowers::brainstorming), the task panel expands on every TaskCreate call, disrupting the flow of reading the conversation output. The user wants to keep focus on the chat output and only check the task list when needed.

Additional Context

Ctrl+T already toggles the task panel. The request is only for a way to set the default state to collapsed, so the toggle key still works as expected.