[FEATURE] Claude Code Desktop: persistent status line (configurable), or at minimum always-visible context size

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

The terminal CLI supports a fully customizable statusLine (configured in
~/.claude/settings.json as a shell script) that can always show model, context %,
effort level, and session/weekly usage. The Desktop app's Code mode has no
equivalent. Context usage is only visible by clicking the usage ring next to the
model picker — there is no persistent, glanceable readout. On long sessions it's easy
to drift toward the context limit without noticing, which makes it hard to time
/compact well.

Proposed Solution

Ideally: have the Desktop app honor the existing statusLine config from
~/.claude/settings.json, giving CLI users parity in the GUI.

At minimum: add an always-visible context indicator in the prompt box —
e.g. 42k/200k (21%) — without requiring a click on the usage ring. Bonus: show the
active model and effort level inline too.

Alternative Solutions

Currently the only option is clicking the usage ring for a one-off snapshot, or
running /context. Neither is persistent. The CLI statusLine solves this in the
terminal but does not render in the Desktop GUI.

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Other (Desktop app GUI)

Use Case Example

1. Long refactoring session in Desktop Code mode.
2. I want to compact before quality degrades (~40-50% context).
3. With an always-visible indicator I see 120k/200k (60%) and run /compact at the

right moment — instead of discovering it too late.

Additional Context

Related closed CLI / VS Code requests (none cover the Desktop app GUI): #31094, #52468,
#21781.