Anthropic announced on September 29, 2025 a multi-part update to Claude Code that adds a native VS Code extension (beta), a refreshed terminal interface (v2.0), and a checkpoint system designed to let Claude Code handle longer, more autonomous development tasks. The release uses the Sonnet 4.5 model as the default.
What's new
- Native VS Code extension (beta) — integrates Claude Code into the IDE with real-time changes and inline diffs.
- Terminal interface v2.0 — visual refresh, improved status visibility and searchable prompt history (Ctrl+r).
- Checkpoint system — automatic saves before Claude edits and instant rewind via Esc twice or /rewind.
- Claude Agent SDK (formerly Claude Code SDK) — now supports subagents, hooks and background tasks.
VS Code extension (beta)
The new native extension brings Claude Code directly into Visual Studio Code. A dedicated sidebar displays Claude’s live edits with inline diffs so developers who prefer an IDE workflow get a richer, graphical Claude Code experience compared to the terminal. The extension is available in beta from the VS Code Extension Marketplace.
Terminal updates (v2.0)
The terminal interface has been visually refreshed and now offers clearer status indicators. A searchable prompt history (Ctrl+r) helps you find, reuse or edit prior prompts more easily. These terminal updates are available to all Claude Code users; they require updating the local installation.
Checkpoints: safer long-running work
The new checkpoint feature automatically saves code state before Claude makes changes. You can instantly rewind to a previous state by hitting Esc twice or issuing the /rewind command. When rewinding, you may choose to restore the code, the conversation, or both. Checkpoints apply to Claude’s edits only — not to user edits or bash commands — and Anthropic recommends using them alongside your normal version control system.
Subagents, hooks and background tasks for autonomous workflows
Checkpoints are particularly valuable when used with Claude Code’s features that support more autonomous work:
- Subagents: delegate specialized tasks (for example, bringing up a backend API while the main agent builds the frontend) to enable parallel workflows.
- Hooks: trigger automated actions at specific points, such as running tests after code changes or linting before commits.
- Background tasks: keep long-running processes like development servers active without blocking Claude Code’s progress on other work. Together, these capabilities make it practical to delegate broad efforts — such as large refactors or exploratory feature work — to Claude Code while retaining the ability to revert to a prior state.
Claude Agent SDK — customizable agentic experiences
The Claude Agent SDK (the new name for the Claude Code SDK) exposes the same core tools, context management and permissions frameworks that power Claude Code. SDK support for subagents and hooks has been added, giving teams more flexibility to build custom, agentic workflows. Anthropic notes developers are already building agents for a range of use cases with the SDK, including financial compliance agents, cybersecurity agents and code debugging agents.
Getting started
- Sonnet 4.5 is the new default model in Claude Code; use /model to switch models.
- The VS Code extension (beta) is available from the VS Code Extension Marketplace.
- Terminal updates, including the visual refresh and checkpoints, are available to all Claude Code users after updating the local installation.
- See the Claude Agent SDK documentation to begin building custom agents.
These updates are intended to enable Claude Code to manage more complex, long-running development tasks while giving teams tools to customize behavior and retain control through checkpoints and versioning.
