m1ckc3s/claude-status-bar

Menu bar status indicator for Claude Code

What it solves

Claude Code users often have to wait for the AI to finish "thinking" or running tools in the terminal, making it difficult to know when the AI is active or awaiting user permission without keeping the terminal window focused. This app provides a visual indicator in the macOS menu bar, allowing users to tab away from their terminal while still knowing the AI's status at a glance.

How it works

The app is stateless and integrates with Claude Code via hooks merged into the ~/.claude/settings.json file. It polls for updates from these hooks as Claude Code runs. The app automatically launches itself when a Claude Code session starts and quits when no sessions are active, aggregating status updates from multiple live sessions into a single menu bar icon.

Who it’s for

macOS users who use Claude Code (CLI, Desktop app, or via the Cursor extension) and want a non-intrusive way to track the AI's activity and permission requests.

Highlights

  • Live Status Tracking: Shows an animated icon when thinking/working, a yellow dot for awaiting permission, and a timer for the elapsed time of the current turn.
  • Lableled Tool Use: Displays labels like "Editing", "Reading", or "Running command" when Claude is using a tool.
  • Multi-session Support: Prioritizes sessions awaiting permission over those that are thinking to ensure the user is not blocked.
  • Customizable Visuals: Offers multiple animation styles (Claude Spark, Claude Code glyph, or a pixel-art crab) and color options (Orange or System adaptive).
  • ** uma a lightweight, dock-less experience with no usage dashboards.

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