[BUG] Desktop app (Claude for Mac): Quick Entry holds display awake; toggle ignored until restart

[damonrand]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• I am using the latest version of Claude Code

(Note: this bug is in Claude for Mac — the unified macOS desktop app
that includes Chat / Cowork / Code modes — not the Claude Code CLI. Filing
here because the repo's area:desktop label covers Mac desktop app issues.
Replaces closed issue #55991, which was auto-flagged invalid due to
unclear product framing.)

What's Wrong?

Claude for Mac (the unified macOS desktop app, bundle ID
com.anthropic.claudefordesktop) holds a NoDisplaySleepAssertion
with the reason string "Capturing" continuously while the Quick Entry
shortcut is enabled, preventing the macOS display from ever entering
idle-sleep. Two related issues:

1. Excessive assertion duration: the assertion is held the entire
   time Claude.app is running, not just while Quick Entry is being
   invoked. An idle Claude.app with no user interaction blocks the
   OS-level displaysleep timer from firing.
2. Settings toggle requires app restart: disabling
   Settings → General → Desktop App → Quick access shortcut does
   not take effect on the running instance. New "Capturing"
   assertions continue to fire at the same cadence (per-second when
   Claude.app is focused, per-minute otherwise) until the user fully
   quits Claude.app and relaunches.

Effect: macOS users who keep Claude for Mac running cannot rely on the
OS-level displaysleep setting. Display stays lit indefinitely.

What Should Happen?

• The assertion should be acquired only during actual screenshot /
  region-selection invocation, not continuously while Quick Entry is
  merely enabled.
• The Settings toggle should take effect on the running instance
  immediately — releasing any held capture session and assertion when
  the user flips the toggle off.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Launch Claude for Mac on macOS Tahoe 26.4+. Confirm
   Settings → General → Desktop App → Quick access shortcut is on
   (the default).
2. From Terminal, watch the pmset log:

   pmset -g log | grep "PID [0-9]*(Claude).*Capturing" | tail -5
   

   Observed: paired Created/Released NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing"
   entries every 60 seconds (or every second while Claude is focused),
   with system flags [System: PrevIdle IntPrevDisp kDisp] indicating
   continuous display-sleep prevention.
3. Walk away from the machine for longer than the configured
   displaysleep minutes (default 10). Observed: display does not turn
   off.
4. Now toggle Settings → General → Desktop App → Quick access shortcut
   off. Do NOT restart Claude.app.
5. Re-run the pmset query 30 seconds later. Observed: new "Capturing"
   entries continue to appear at the same frequency. The setting
   appears not to take effect on the running app.
6. Fully quit Claude.app (Cmd+Q or right-click dock icon → Quit), then
   relaunch.
7. Re-run the pmset query. Observed: new "Capturing" entries no
   longer appear. Display now sleeps normally at the configured
   displaysleep interval.

Error Messages/Logs

2026-05-03 18:00:33  PID 970(Claude) Released NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing" 00:00:00  [System: PrevIdle IntPrevDisp kDisp]
2026-05-03 18:01:33  PID 970(Claude) Released NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing" 00:00:00  [System: PrevIdle IntPrevDisp kDisp]
2026-05-03 18:02:33  PID 970(Claude) Released NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing" 00:00:00  [System: PrevIdle IntPrevDisp kDisp]
... (continuing every 60s for hours)

While Claude.app focused, the cycle accelerates to per-second:
2026-05-04 12:16:45  PID 970(Claude) Created  NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing"
2026-05-04 12:16:45  PID 970(Claude) Released NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing"
2026-05-04 12:16:46  PID 970(Claude) Created  NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing"
2026-05-04 12:16:46  PID 970(Claude) Released NoDisplaySleepAssertion "Capturing"

After Claude.app quit at 12:17 + relaunched with Quick Entry disabled:
(no further "Capturing" entries; pmset -g assertions | grep claude returns empty)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Claude Code Version

N/A for this bug. The issue is in Claude for Mac, the macOS desktop
app (not the Claude Code CLI). Affected Claude for Mac version:

Claude for Mac 1.5354.0 (9a9e3d)
Bundle ID: com.anthropic.claudefordesktop
Path: /Applications/Claude.app

(For completeness, my Claude Code CLI version: filing this from a
Claude Code CLI session, which is unaffected by this bug.)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

(Terminal context is incidental — the bug is in the Claude for Mac
desktop app itself, not in any CLI behaviour. Diagnostics were collected
via Terminal.)

Additional Information

Environment:

• macOS Tahoe 26.4.1 (Build 25E253) on MacBook Pro M3 Pro (Mac15,7)
• 36 GB unified memory, AC power
• External display attached (clamshell-capable)

Bundle identification (so the classifier can route correctly):

• Bundle ID: com.anthropic.claudefordesktop
• Version: 1.5354.0 build 9a9e3d
• This is the unified Claude for Mac app with Chat / Cowork / Code
  modes — not the Claude Code CLI and not a separate "Claude Code
  Desktop" product.

Workaround currently in use:

Disable Settings → General → Desktop App → Quick access shortcut,
then quit and relaunch Claude.app. (Voice shortcut may need the same
treatment; not separately tested in this report.)

Suggested fix direction:

1. Acquire the screen-capture session lazily on first Quick Entry
   invocation rather than at app launch. Release after a short
   inactivity cooldown.
2. Tie the assertion lifecycle to the actual capture operation rather
   than to the feature being enabled.
3. Honour the Settings toggle on the running instance — release any
   held capture session and assertion when the toggle flips off,
   without requiring app restart.

Verification command for any fix:

pmset -g log | grep "PID [0-9]*(Claude).*Capturing" | tail -20

After a fix, expected: no entries during normal idle use; entries
should appear only in the seconds surrounding actual Quick Entry
invocations.

Related public discussion:

• Anthropic help article documenting Quick Entry:
  https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12626668-use-quick-entry-with-claude-desktop-on-mac
• Adjacent issue (different assertion, also Claude Code Desktop):
  [macOS] Claude Desktop holds NoIdleSleepAssertion indefinitely, preventing system sleep and draining battery #45769 (NoIdleSleepAssertion "Electron")
• Replaces (closed): [BUG] Desktop app (Claude for Mac): Quick Entry holds display awake; toggle ignored until restart #55991

Severity:

Continuous; reproducible 100% on this machine; affects display-sleep
behaviour OS-wide whenever Claude for Mac is running. OLED
external-display burn-in risk for users who leave the machine on a
home/office display.

[github-actions]

Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.