To use the Claude Code diff panel, update Claude Code to version 2.1.260 or later, switch the terminal into fullscreen mode, and type /diff — a panel opens beside the conversation and shows your uncommitted changes live as Claude edits your files. That is the whole activation flow, and it quietly fixes one of the most requested workflow gaps in the tool. This guide walks through exactly how to use Claude Code diff panel reviewing day to day: turning it on, reading what it shows you, where it fits in a safe review workflow, and what else shipped alongside it in the same release wave.
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What the Diff Panel Is and Where It Came From
The diff panel arrived in Claude Code v2.1.260, released on 3 September 2026, per the official Claude Code changelog published by Anthropic. The changelog entry reads: "Added a diff panel that opens beside the conversation in fullscreen mode and shows your uncommitted changes as Claude edits; toggle it with /diff." One day later, v2.1.261 followed on 4 September 2026 with a further batch of additions, so if you update now you get both versions' improvements in one jump.
Before this shipped, reviewing Claude Code's edits meant one of three things: trusting the inline edit summaries in the conversation, alt-tabbing to your editor or IDE to eyeball the working tree, or running git diff in another terminal. All three take you out of the conversation. The diff panel keeps review inside the same screen where the work is happening — the conversation runs on one side, and your uncommitted changes accumulate on the other, updating as Claude works. For anyone running longer autonomous sessions, that side-by-side visibility is the difference between reviewing as you go and archaeology at the end.
How to Use Claude Code Diff Panel Step by Step
Here is the sequence, based on the behaviour described in the official changelog:
- Update Claude Code. The panel needs v2.1.260 or newer. Check your version with /status inside a session, and update through whichever install channel you used — npm, the native installer, or your package manager.
- Enter fullscreen mode. The changelog is specific that the panel "opens beside the conversation in fullscreen mode" — it is a fullscreen-layout feature, because a split view needs the horizontal space. If you run Claude Code in a small terminal pane, give it the full window first.
- Type /diff to toggle the panel. The same command switches it off again when you want the conversation back at full width.
- Let it run while Claude edits. The panel tracks uncommitted changes, so everything Claude touches before you commit stays visible. Once you commit, the slate is clean and the panel tracks the next round of edits.
The practical rhythm that falls out of this: keep the panel open during implementation, glance at it whenever Claude reports a file edited, and commit in small units once the diff matches what you asked for. Because the panel shows uncommitted changes specifically, frequent commits keep it short and readable — a ten-file diff is a review, a fifty-file diff is a chore.
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Why the Diff Panel Matters for Review Discipline
The strongest argument for the diff panel is not convenience — it is that visible diffs change reviewer behaviour. When the cost of checking an edit is zero, you check more edits. When checking means leaving the conversation, you batch your reviews, and batched reviews miss things. Putting uncommitted changes permanently in view makes the safe habit the lazy habit, which is the only kind of safety habit that survives a busy week.
It also pairs naturally with the permission side of Claude Code. Review-as-you-go works best when you have deliberately decided what the agent may touch without asking — the write-up on restricting Claude Code access covers that end of the workflow. Panel on one side, sensible permissions on the other, small commits in between: that is a review discipline you can actually sustain.
One boundary worth stating: the panel shows you the changes — it does not judge them. You still decide whether the diff is correct, minimal and safe. Treat it as a window, not a reviewer.
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What Else Shipped in the Same Release Wave
The v2.1.261 release on 4 September 2026 is worth knowing about because it lands in the same update. According to the same official changelog, it added a /skill-doctor command that shows which loaded skills go unused and what they cost in context; an "Organization policy" line in /status and claude doctor that explains why an organisation's policy could not be loaded; new bashOutputMaxChars and taskOutputMaxChars settings that raise how much command output Claude receives inline, up to 128K characters; and a flag for reading a subagent system prompt from a file when it is too large for the command line.
The theme across both versions is the same: more visibility into what the agent is doing and what it costs. If you are still weighing up whether the tool fits your stack, the funnel has deeper background — whether Claude Code is free covers the pricing tiers, running Claude Code locally covers the local setup path, and Claude Code desktop with DeepSeek covers pointing it at cheaper models.
Fitting the Diff Panel Into an Agent Workflow
Once you know how to use Claude Code diff panel review properly, the next step is deciding where it sits in a bigger agent setup. The pattern that works: plan in conversation, implement with the panel open, commit small, and only then let follow-on automation run. If you are building towards a fuller agentic system, the Agent OS guide covers the operating layer that sits around individual tools like this, and the Goldie Bench write-up covers how the different agent brains compare in hands-on tests — useful context when you are choosing which model sits behind the editor whose diffs you are reviewing.
For teams pairing Claude Code with an always-on agent, the Hermes Agent with Claude Code guide shows the combination pattern: Hermes as the orchestrator, Claude Code as the hands, and now the diff panel as the glass between you and the edits. And if your terminal has ever felt janky during long sessions, the Claude Code no-flicker mode piece covers the rendering side of the same fullscreen experience — different feature, same goal of making long sessions watchable.
Common Questions About the Claude Code Diff Panel
Does the diff panel work outside fullscreen mode?
The changelog describes it as a panel that "opens beside the conversation in fullscreen mode", so fullscreen is the documented home for it. If /diff appears to do nothing, the first thing to check is whether you are in fullscreen layout, and the second is your version number.
Does it show committed changes too?
No — the entry is explicit that it shows your uncommitted changes. Once you commit, those edits leave the panel. For history you still use git tooling; the panel is about the current working state while Claude edits.
Does the diff panel replace git diff?
Not really — it replaces the habit of running git diff mid-session just to see what Claude has done so far. The panel is a live, in-place view of the working tree while the conversation is active; your normal git tooling remains the source of truth for staging, history and anything scripted. Think of the panel as the glanceable version and git as the authoritative one, and use whichever fits the moment.
Do I need to configure anything?
Nothing in the changelog entry suggests configuration is required — it is a toggle command. Update, go fullscreen, type /diff. If you want to go deeper on operating Claude Code well, the Claude Code training guide is the broader skills path.
The Bottom Line on the Claude Code Diff Panel
The diff panel is a small feature with outsized workflow value: it moves change review from "something you remember to do" to "something that is simply on screen". Update to v2.1.260 or later, run fullscreen, toggle /diff, and commit in small units so the panel stays readable. Sourced facts here come from the official Claude Code changelog entries for v2.1.260 (3 September 2026) and v2.1.261 (4 September 2026) — check the changelog after your next update, because this tool ships daily and the panel will not be the last review feature it grows.
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