[BUG] Desktop Code tab: open editor does not reload files changed by Claude

Status Open
Reported on v2.1.269
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Sep 18, 2026

Summary

In the Claude desktop app (Code tab), when Claude modifies a file that is currently open in the inline editor, the editor keeps showing the old contents. The only way to see the new version is to close the file tab and reopen it.

Environment

  • Claude Code: 2.1.269
  • Surface: Claude desktop app, Code tab (inline editor)
  • OS: macOS 26.5 (Apple Silicon)

Steps to reproduce

  1. Open a project in the desktop app's Code tab.
  2. Open a source file in the inline editor so its contents are visible.
  3. Ask Claude to modify that same file.
  4. Wait for Claude to report the change as complete, and confirm on disk (e.g. cat the file in a terminal) that the new contents are written.
  5. Look at the still-open editor tab.

Expected

The editor reflects the file as it now exists on disk, or shows some indication that the file changed underneath it.

Actual

The editor continues to display the pre-change contents indefinitely. Closing the tab and reopening the file shows the correct, updated contents, so the write itself is fine — only the open buffer is stale.

Notes

  • Reproduced repeatedly across several files in one session (Python sources and test files).
  • In the session where this was observed, every file write went through shell redirection (cat > file <<'EOF') via the Bash tool rather than the Write/Edit tools. I have not verified whether Write/Edit-based changes refresh correctly, so it is an open question whether this affects all file modifications or only those made through the shell. If it is shell-only, the underlying issue may be that the editor listens for tool-level edit events rather than watching the filesystem.
  • Practical impact: while following along with a session, the editor silently shows outdated code. If the user has their own unsaved edits in that buffer, there is also a risk of overwriting or losing changes without any conflict warning.

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