### Preflight Checklist - [x] I searched existing requests and found no matching request for a complete Light / Dark / Auto CLI appearance override independent of the terminal profile. Related background customization request #52157 is noted below. - [x] This is a single feature request. ### Problem Statement I want a white or near-white daytime appearance for the whole Claude Code CLI, including the main background and input area, without changing my terminal profile. In Claude Code v2.1.26

[FEATURE] Full Light / Dark / Auto CLI appearance with application-controlled background

Status Open

Maintainer reply None cached

Activity 0 comments · opened Sep 14, 2026

Preflight Checklist

[x] I searched existing requests and found no matching request for a complete Light / Dark / Auto CLI appearance override independent of the terminal profile. Related background customization request #52157 is noted below.
[x] This is a single feature request.

Problem Statement

I want a white or near-white daytime appearance for the whole Claude Code CLI, including the main background and input area, without changing my terminal profile.

In Claude Code v2.1.265 on Linux with KDE Konsole, /theme shows Light mode selected, but the main background remains black. Some foreground text becomes difficult to read. The picker describes its purpose as choosing a text style that matches the terminal; selecting Light therefore does not provide the full light appearance I am looking for.

Proposed Solution

Add an optional, persistent Light / Dark / Auto appearance control that includes the application background. Light should render a white or near-white background with readable foregrounds throughout the interface; Dark should provide the corresponding dark appearance. Auto can retain terminal-following behavior. Apply changes without restarting or losing the current draft, and keep syntax-highlighting preferences separate where appropriate.

Alternative Solutions

Changing the terminal profile is an alternative, but the requested control should apply to the application itself. OpenCode provides the desired experience: its light appearance includes a white main background and a light-grey input panel.

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Interactive mode (TUI)

Additional Context

The observation above comes from a user-provided screenshot showing v2.1.265 and Light mode selected on a black background. This is a request to extend the existing appearance behavior, not a claim that the Light palette selector is missing.

Related: #52157 requests per-terminal background/theme customization to distinguish multiple sessions. This request focuses on a complete daytime/nighttime appearance and readable contrast independent of the terminal profile.

Drafted with AI assistance at the user's request. No independent interactive reproduction was performed.

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