[Bug] Alt+T(option+T) not enabling thinking mode on macOS

[cywr]

Bug Description Impossible to use alt+t to enable thinking mode on macos... on doing it ai get "†" printed, which is actually "option+t"

Environment Info

• Platform: darwin
• Terminal: iTerm.app
• Version: 2.0.71
• Feedback ID: f58365a3-1fdc-442e-84c9-3c74131542e9

Errors

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[github-actions[bot]]

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Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14284
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/13854
3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14322

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

• If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

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[AbdelrahmanHafez]

If you're on iTerm, go to the iTerm preferences -> Profiles -> Keys -> set the Left/Right Option key to Esc+.

[acking-you]

I'm also experiencing the same issue.

[dhernandoatnewrelic]

Same for me on Kitty.

Setting the macos_option_as_alt option to yes in kitty.conf did the trick.

https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/conf/#opt-kitty.macos_option_as_alt

[lxcode]

Setting the macos_option_as_alt option to yes in kitty.conf did the trick.

Unfortunately that particular fix makes it so you can't use macOS diacritic input. Using alt as a mod key for a macOS terminal app is generally undesirable behavior, so IMO the default should be changed to something else.

[dhernandoatnewrelic]

Setting the macos_option_as_alt option to yes in kitty.conf did the trick.

Unfortunately that particular fix makes it so you can't use macOS diacritic input. Using alt as a mod key for a macOS terminal app is generally undesirable behavior, so IMO the default should be changed to something else.

Correct, there are some consequences to this setting, well explained in the link. Proceed with caution. Just in case anyone really wanted to work around it. I guess it'd be cool to be able to customize the shortcut, if not possible already.

[bogini]

On macOS, the Option key types special characters by default (Option+T = †). Terminals need to be configured to send Option as Meta/Escape for Alt shortcuts to work.

We've added a fix in the upcoming release - you'll see a notification guiding you to run /terminal-setup.

How to fix

Terminal	Setting
Terminal.app	Run /terminal-setup in Claude Code, or: Settings → Profiles → Keyboard → ✓ "Use Option as Meta key"
iTerm2	Settings → Profiles → Keys → General → Left Option Key → Esc+
VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf	Add "terminal.integrated.macOptionIsMeta": true to settings.json
Ghostty	Add macos-option-as-alt = true to config
Kitty	Add macos_option_as_alt yes to kitty.conf

Note: This disables special character input (é, ñ, ü) via Option. Use /config to toggle thinking if you need both.