What
Claude Code now uses a single centralized check to decide when the diff sidebar (the panel that shows file changes alongside the conversation) should turn on automatically. All of these must be true:
- the sidebar feature itself is enabled
- the terminal is in fullscreen mode
- the client is not a "thin" client (a lighter-weight connection type)
- the main pane currently has focus
- the terminal is at least a minimum number of columns wide
- the current working directory is inside a git repository
Why
Bundling these checks into one place means the sidebar won't pop up in situations where it wouldn't fit or wouldn't make sense, such as a narrow terminal window, an unfocused pane, or a folder that isn't a git repository.