Claude Desktop app repeatedly requires sign-in — persistent auth/session drops
Status Open
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 5 comments · opened Aug 7, 2026
Description
Claude Desktop app repeatedly and persistently requires re-signing in — session/auth does not stick. This is a long-standing, ongoing problem, not a one-time glitch.
Impact
Constant re-authentication makes the desktop app effectively unusable as a reliable tool — significant friction every time it's opened.
Environment
- Platform: Windows 11 Pro
Request
Please investigate why auth sessions aren't persisting in Claude Desktop on Windows, and fix session persistence so users aren't repeatedly forced to sign back in.
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3 Comments
I have the same issue:
Windows 11 Enterprise with Claude AI Desktop
Having this same issue for Mac users. following.
Adding a Linux data point. This looks like the same server-side check reported in #81512, which was closed as not planned.
Environment: Ubuntu, Claude Desktop (community Debian repack
claude-desktop-unofficial1.30096.1), Pro plan. The CLI and Desktop are signed into the same account.Symptom: About once a day, usually when I start a Claude Code session in Desktop, the app lands on
claude.ai/login?…reason=elevated_auth&auth_kind=session_stale_reloginwith "Session is not fresh enough to grant elevated access. Sign in again to continue." Logged on 18 August (untrusted_device), then 20, 21 and 22 August (session_stale_relogin). The app ran continuously through all of them, so it isn't a restart, keyring or local credential problem. The CLI's OAuth token stayed valid throughout.With reports now on macOS (#81512), Windows (this issue) and Linux, this doesn't look platform-specific. Could #81512 be reopened? Failing that, could the session-freshness window for Claude Code sessions be documented, and extended for trusted devices? A forced sign-in every day makes Desktop unreliable for regular work.