[FEATURE] Permission mode menu isn't ordered by level of autonomy
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
Summary
The permission mode menu (Shift+Tab / the mode picker) lists modes in an
order that doesn't track how much autonomy each one grants. Plan is the
most restrictive mode but sits third, between two less restrictive ones.
Current order
- Manual
- Accept edits
- Plan
- Auto
Bypass permissions
Proposed Solution
Proposed order
- Plan
- Manual
- Accept edits
- Auto
Bypass permissions
Why
The menu is read as a dial: "let Claude do less" or "let Claude do more."
Every other element supports that reading, with Bypass pinned at the
permissive end and visually separated.
Plan breaks the gradient. It's read-only, so it grants strictly less than
Manual, which can still edit and run commands with approval. Sitting it
between Accept edits and Auto means moving one notch toward caution can
land you somewhere more permissive or far more restrictive depending on
where you started, so you have to stop and think rather than just step in
a direction.
Ordering by autonomy makes the list self-documenting: position tells you
the level, and Shift+Tab becomes a monotonic dial rather than a cycle you
memorise.
Alternative Solutions
Tradeoff
Renumbering changes the digit shortcuts and the Shift+Tab cycle order,
which existing users have muscle memory for. That's a real cost and may
outweigh the benefit. If so, the same problem could be addressed by
grouping or a separator rather than a renumber, so the read-only mode
isn't sitting inside the write-enabled ones.
Priority
Medium - Would be very helpful
Feature Category
Interactive mode (TUI)
Use Case Example
_No response_
Additional Context
_No response_