Claude Code 2.1.302: Auto-Mode Model Choice and Idle Compaction Toggle

Anthropic shipped Claude Code 2.1.302 on October 16, and it’s still the current release. Mostly fixes, but a few things worth knowing:

• New CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_MODEL lets you pick the model for the client-side auto mode classifier.
• An Idle compaction row in /config to turn idle compaction off or back on.
• A heads-up that standalone Claude Design (claude.ai/design) closes December 14, 2026.
• The Read tool now refuses image sources over 128 MB instead of loading them all into memory.
• A pile of plugin, MCP and Bedrock/Vertex fixes.

If you use Claude Design on its own, note that December date.

Happy Hacking!

References & Further Reading

• Claude Code releases