Guide · Updated
How to answer Claude Code without opening the terminal
Short answer. Claude Code can call you on its own: a macOS notification in iTerm2, Ghostty and Kitty, or a bell in Terminal.app. You can't answer a permission request from that notification — that's what the
PermissionRequesthook is for, and it's how MacBook notch apps work: Vibe Island, Crest, Notchy, MacNotch, FavTray, SparkU and free open-source projects. To answer from your phone, Anthropic has Remote Control. Below: every option, what it can do and what it costs.
The problem
You start a task, switch to the browser or Figma — and a minute later Claude Code stops on "Can I run npm install?" and waits. You come back half an hour later to find it's been sitting there the whole time.
You need two things: to know the agent is waiting, and to answer it. Claude Code handles the first on its own, but not the second: out of the box you can only answer in the terminal.
What Claude Code does on its own
Notifications
/config has a "Local notifications" setting (preferredNotifChannel). It defaults to auto:
- iTerm2, Ghostty, Kitty — a macOS notification when Claude Code finishes or needs permission and you seem to be away from the terminal.
- Terminal.app — a bell only, and only if the profile's audible bell isn't turned off.
- Warp, the VS Code terminal and others — nothing. You need a hook or
terminal_bellthere.
In iTerm2, allow notifications first: Profiles → Terminal → "Notification Center Alerts" and "Send escape sequence-generated alerts". In tmux, set set -g allow-passthrough on.
What it can't do: you can't answer from the notification. Clicking it just brings you back to the terminal.
Hooks
Hooks are commands Claude Code runs on its own events. Three matter here:
| Hook | When it fires | What it can do |
|---|---|---|
Notification |
A permission prompt (after ~6 seconds without input), idle after a reply (~60 seconds) and other events | Notify only: a sound, a notification, a Telegram message |
Stop |
Claude Code finished responding | Notify, or keep it from stopping |
PermissionRequest |
The agent needs permission for an action | Allow or deny — without the terminal |
PermissionRequest is the way to answer from outside. The hook receives the request, holds it until you decide, and returns allow or deny. Every app below is built on it. You can write your own — there's an example in Anthropic's docs — but you'll have to build the buttons and UI yourself.
The simple "at least let me know" option is a Notification hook with osascript -e 'display notification ...'. Note that this notification comes from Script Editor, which you have to allow in System Settings → Notifications.
Remote Control: answer from your phone
claude remote-control (or /rc inside a session) connects the session on your Mac to claude.ai/code and the Claude app for iPhone and Android. Permission prompts and the agent's questions wait for your answer there. Push notifications are toggled in /config.
Keep in mind: you need a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan — API keys don't work. On Team and Enterprise an owner has to turn it on. Your Mac and claude itself must keep running. Details in the docs.
It's the best option when you've stepped away from the computer. When you're at your Mac in another app, reaching for your phone to tap "Allow" is clumsy — that's where an island wins.
MacBook notch apps
An island in the notch shows the agent's status and its question, and you answer right there. Prices are from the developers' sites as of October 15, 2026.
| App | Price | Answers permissions | Agents | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vibe Island | $19.99 one-time for 1 Mac, 2-day trial | Yes, plus questions and plan review | 30 agents: Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, OpenCode and more | Agents only: no music, files or calls |
| Crest | Free; Pro is $24.99 once, $2.99/month or $14.99/year | Yes, plus Claude's questions | Claude Code, Codex, Copilot CLI | Notarized by Apple |
| Notchy | Free | Yes, when the agent is truly blocked | Claude Code, Codex | Also limits, tokens and spend for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Copilot. Closed source |
| MacNotch | $22.99 one-time or $3.99/month; on Setapp | Yes — the "AI Coding" module, in beta | Claude Code, Cursor | A general-purpose island with modules |
| FavTray | Free; Pro is $4.99 lifetime for 1 Mac | In Pro. Unanswered after 55 seconds, the request falls back to the terminal | Claude Code; Codex status only | macOS 14 or later |
| Vibe Notch (formerly Claude Island) | Free, open source (Apache-2.0) | Per its README, yes | Claude Code only | Last release April 2026; macOS 15.6 or later |
| Claude Peek | Free, open source (MIT) | Yes: Allow, Deny, Always Allow | Claude Code only | Build from source; Apple Silicon |
| SparkU | One-time purchase, price not announced yet | Yes, plus questions and plan review | Claude Code, OpenCode, Antigravity, Hermes | Launching spring 2027, in beta now |
How SparkU does it
SparkU is us, so here's more detail. First, where we're weaker:
- SparkU isn't out yet. It launches in spring 2027; beta invites go out in waves.
- No Codex support yet — it's in the works. Fewer agents than Vibe Island.
- The beta isn't notarized by Apple yet, so macOS asks you to confirm on first launch.
- "Open in terminal" works with iTerm2 and Ghostty. Terminal.app, Warp and the VS Code terminal aren't supported yet.
What the island shows with no setup. SparkU reads Claude Code's session logs on disk and shows what the agent is doing: thinking, writing, running a command, waiting for you, or stopped on an error. With several sessions, the island lists them — star the one you care about. Your plan's usage limits are there too: the five-hour window and the week.
Answering from the island is opt-in. Turn on "Answer the agent from the island", and SparkU adds two of its own hooks to ~/.claude/settings.json — after saving a backup of the file. It never touches other entries. Then:
- Permission requests — the island shows the command or the file diff. Buttons: Allow, Always, Deny — with a reason if you want.
- Questions with options — pick an option in the island.
- Plans — read it, approve it, or send it back with a comment.
If SparkU isn't running, the hook quietly steps aside and Claude Code asks in the terminal as usual. Nothing breaks.
It all stays on your Mac: the hook and SparkU talk over a local socket, nothing goes over the network.
What the island is for besides the agent. Music with artwork, a file shelf with AirDrop, calendar, Pomodoro, CPU load, AirPods battery, Discord. It's useful all day, not just while Claude Code is working.
How to choose
- You just want to know the agent is waiting, and you use iTerm2 or Ghostty — the built-in notifications are enough. Free and already there.
- You often step away from the computer — Remote Control and the Claude app on your phone.
- You want to answer from your Mac for free — Notchy or Crest; open source — Vibe Notch or Claude Peek.
- You juggle many different agents and need nothing else in the island — Vibe Island.
- You want an all-day island with your agents inside — join the SparkU beta.
FAQ
Can I answer a Claude Code permission prompt outside the terminal?
Yes. That's what the PermissionRequest hook is for: it receives the request and returns allow or deny. Every notch app in the table uses it. The other way is Remote Control: answer from your phone or a browser.
Why am I not getting Claude Code notifications on my Mac?
Usually it's the terminal. By default macOS notifications only arrive in iTerm2, Ghostty and Kitty, and iTerm2 needs them allowed in the profile settings. Terminal.app only rings a bell. Warp and the VS Code terminal get no notifications — use a hook. In tmux, turn on allow-passthrough.
Is it safe to let an app answer for me?
The app doesn't decide anything: it shows the request and passes your answer to the agent. Make sure it doesn't change other entries in ~/.claude/settings.json and steps aside to the terminal when it isn't running. SparkU only adds its own entries and backs the file up first.
Does it work without a notch? Yes. Vibe Island, Crest, Notchy, MacNotch and SparkU show the island at the top edge of the screen on Macs without a notch and on external displays.
What about Codex?
Codex has its own mechanisms: the notify setting in ~/.codex/config.toml and a PermissionRequest hook. Of the apps above, Vibe Island, Crest and Notchy can answer Codex. Codex support in SparkU is in the works.
Sources (as of October 15, 2026): Claude Code docs — settings, terminal, hooks, Remote Control; Codex docs. App prices and features come from their official sites and GitHub pages.