Claude Code — July 2026 Releases
22 releases in July 2026.
What's new in Claude Code, July 2026
Claude Code adds Opus 5, background agent upgrades, /fork sessions and sandbox controls
Claude Code's July 2026 releases added Claude Opus 5 as the default Opus model, made /fork create separate background sessions, and expanded sandbox settings. Twenty-two releases shipped, from v2.1.198 to v2.1.220.
v2.1.219 added Claude Opus 5 (claude-opus-5) with 1M context and fast mode at $10/$50 per Mtok, plus sandbox.network.strictAllowlist and a DirectoryAdded hook. v2.1.216 added sandbox.filesystem.disabled to skip filesystem isolation while keeping network egress control. v2.1.212 added session caps on WebSearch calls and subagent spawns and auto-backgrounding for MCP calls running over 2 minutes. Claude in Chrome became generally available in v2.1.198, and v2.1.208 added a screen reader mode. The "default" permission mode was renamed "Manual" in v2.1.200, and /code-review now runs as a background subagent.
Much of the rest was reliability work on background agents and sessions, plus permission-check fixes for nested directory allow rules, Windows PowerShell 5.1 and Bash redirects.
- Claude Opus 5 (claude-opus-5) is the default Opus model, with 1M context and fast mode at $10/$50 per Mtok (v2.1.219)
- /fork copies the conversation into a new background session; the old in-session subagent is now /subtask (v2.1.212)
- sandbox.filesystem.disabled skips filesystem isolation while keeping network egress control (v2.1.216)
- sandbox.network.strictAllowlist denies non-allowlisted hosts for sandboxed commands without prompting (v2.1.219)
- Caps on WebSearch calls and subagent spawns (default 200 each), and MCP calls over 2 minutes move to the background (v2.1.212)
- Screen reader mode via claude --ax-screen-reader, and vimInsertModeRemaps for sequences like jj (v2.1.208)
Upgrading from v2.1.197? See every change through v2.1.220.
- v2.1.220 (July 24, 2026) — - Bug fixes and reliability improvements
- v2.1.219 (July 24, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.219 now includes Claude Opus 5 as the default model with faster performance and expanded context, plus stronger security controls for
- v2.1.218 (July 22, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.218 moves code reviews to the background so they won't interrupt your workflow, and fixes critical issues like Windows paths being cor
- v2.1.217 (July 21, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.217 now makes it easier to express yourself with emoji shortcode autocomplete in the prompt input, while improved warnings help you ca
- v2.1.216 (July 20, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.216 now lets you control filesystem isolation independently, giving you more flexibility in how you run your code. We've also fixed a
- v2.1.215 (July 19, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.215 puts you in control with manual skill invocation—simply use /verify or /code-review when you need them instead of having Claude ru
- v2.1.214 (July 18, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.214 tightens security with fixes that prevent unauthorized access to nested directories and close permission loopholes in Windows Powe
- v2.1.212 (July 16, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.212 makes it easier to manage multiple conversations with /fork creating separate background sessions while you keep working, and adds
- v2.1.211 (July 15, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.211 now lets you capture subagent insights directly in your workflows with new forwarding options, while we've also patched some permi
- v2.1.210 (July 14, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.210 adds a live counter to show long-running tool calls are working instead of appearing frozen, plus improved security isolation for
- v2.1.209 (July 14, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.209 restores access to model selection and other dialogs that were accidentally blocked in background agent sessions. This fix brings
- v2.1.208 (July 13, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.208 now includes screen reader support for better accessibility and vim insert mode remapping so you can use shortcuts like jj to esca
- v2.1.207 (July 10, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.207 brings auto mode to more platforms without requiring special setup, letting you work faster with less manual input. We've also squ
- v2.1.206 (July 9, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.206 makes pushing code changes faster by automatically allowing git push to your configured remote, and improves the /doctor tool to h
- v2.1.205 (July 8, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.205 now prevents accidental changes to session files and fixes critical issues where messages could get lost or jobs could get stuck i
- v2.1.204 (July 8, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.204 resolves a critical issue where remote workers could disconnect unexpectedly during setup, ensuring smoother initialization for he
- v2.1.203 (July 7, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.203 now warns you before your login expires so you won't lose work in background sessions, and fixes a frustrating issue where switchi
- v2.1.202 (July 6, 2026) — - Added a "Dynamic workflow si
- v2.1.201 (July 3, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.201 streamlines conversations by removing interruptions during your work sessions, letting you stay focused on what matters. Check the
- v2.1.200 (July 3, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.200 gives you more control over when AI interactions continue automatically—now they pause by default unless you configure them otherw
- v2.1.199 (July 2, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.199 now handles multiple stacked skills at once instead of just the first one, letting you combine more tools in a single command. We'
- v2.1.198 (July 1, 2026) — Claude Code 2.1.198 brings Chrome integration out of beta so you can use Claude directly in your browser, plus smarter agent notifications that alert