[BUG] Option to disable automatic creation of "Claude Code URL Handler" app on macOS

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?

Feature Request: Option to disable automatic creation of "Claude Code URL Handler" app

Describe the problem

Every time Claude Code runs, it automatically creates (or recreates) a Claude Code URL Handler.app bundle in ~/Applications. This app registers the claude-cli:// URL scheme on macOS to support deep linking.

For users who don't need this functionality, there is currently no way to prevent this behavior. Any workaround applied at the filesystem level (blocking the directory, making it immutable, etc.) is a hack and gets undone or causes issues on updates.

Expected behavior

A configuration option — such as a flag in settings.json or a CLI flag — to disable the automatic creation of the URL handler app.

Example:

{
  "urlHandlerEnabled": false
}

Environment

• macOS
• Claude Code installed via npm (@anthropic-ai/claude-code)

Additional context

The Info.plist inside the generated bundle shows CFBundleIdentifier: com.anthropic.claude-code-url-handler and registers the claude-cli:// URL scheme. Users who do not use this deep link feature should be able to opt out of having this app created on their system.

What Should Happen?

Claude Code should not recreate Claude Code URL Handler.app if it was previously deleted by the user, or provide a configuration option to disable its automatic creation.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install Claude Code via npm on macOS
2. Run claude in the terminal
3. Notice ~/Applications/Claude Code URL Handler.app was created
4. Delete ~/Applications/Claude Code URL Handler.app
5. Run claude again
6. The app is recreated automatically

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.191 (Claude Code)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_