Feature Request: Terminal profile dropdown in UI mode

Status Open
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Jul 30, 2026

Current behavior:
The terminal profile dropdown (to switch between PowerShell, Git Bash, Claude Console etc.) is only available in terminal mode (claudeCode.useTerminal: true). In UI mode the dropdown is not shown.

Desired behavior:
UI mode should offer the same terminal profile dropdown as terminal mode, so users can launch different console types directly from the UI panel.

Why this matters:

  1. Screenshot / clipboard support: On Windows, pasting screenshots via copy/paste does not work in the terminal-based extension. It does work in the UI panel. This makes UI mode the preferred mode for users who work with visual content.
  1. Dynamic workflows: Power users switch frequently between different console types (PowerShell, Git Bash, Claude Console). In terminal mode this is a single click via the dropdown. In UI mode there is no equivalent, forcing users to either use a keyboard shortcut or switch extension modes entirely.
  1. No good workaround exists: Keyboard shortcuts are not an equivalent replacement for a visible dropdown. Switching claudeCode.useTerminal back and forth is not a viable workflow.
  1. Default layout: In terminal mode Claude Code opens as a bottom terminal panel. Users who prefer a side-by-side lane layout (editor left, Claude right) have to manually re-arrange the panel every session. In UI mode the side lane is the default, which is the natural working layout for AI-assisted coding. The terminal profile dropdown should therefore be available in UI mode, where the layout already matches productive workflows out of the box.

Expected solution:
Add the terminal profile dropdown to the UI mode panel, matching the functionality already available in terminal mode. Users should not have to choose between clipboard/screenshot support, natural side-lane layout, and console switching convenience.

Environment:

  • OS: Windows
  • VS Code: latest
  • Extension: Claude Code for VS Code (Anthropic)

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