[BUG] not loading prev sessions [no /resume]

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?

Summary

Claude Code CLI stores full session transcripts locally at ~/.claude/projects/<project>/<session-id>.jsonl. When I installed Claude Desktop on the same machine, there was no prompt, menu option, or documented path to import or resume any of that existing work. I have months of local session history (multi-day projects, in-progress specs, decisions) that is invisible to Desktop.

By contrast, I installed OpenAI's Codex CLI/app on the same machine and it immediately detected and offered to import my local Claude CLI sessions on first launch.

Why this matters

Users switching from CLI to Desktop (or running both) lose continuity on active work with no warning that this will happen.
A competitor's tool can read and import Claude's own local session format, but Anthropic's own first-party desktop client cannot (or does not expose that it can).
The only workaround Anthropic support/docs point to is manually digging through the raw .jsonl files or using a generic "DT" (data transfer) tool — neither of which is a real migration path for conversation state, in-progress task context, or session continuity.
Expected behavior

On first launch (or via a "Sessions" import screen), Claude Desktop should detect local ~/.claude/projects/**/*.jsonl session files from the CLI and offer to:

List them (by project folder, date, first message) similar to claude --resume's picker.
Import/open a selected session so its history and context carry over into Desktop.
Environment

Claude Desktop: newly installed, no import/resume option found anywhere in UI or settings
Comparison

Codex offered local Claude CLI session import automatically on install. Claude Desktop offers no equivalent for its own CLI's session data.

What Should Happen?

Claude Code CLI stores full session transcripts locally at ~/.claude/projects/<project>/<session-id>.jsonl. When I installed Claude Desktop on the same machine, there was no prompt, menu option, or documented path to import or resume any of that existing work. I have months of local session history (multi-day projects, in-progress specs, decisions) that is invisible to Desktop.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

install claude DT

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.203

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

_No response_