Claude Code v2.1.236 adds ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL, cross-session idle notifications, and macOS sandbox wildcard read-deny hardening
Anthropic
Released Aug 19, 2026. New ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL env var (persists across restarts, distinct from the per-session ANTHROPIC_MODEL); opt-in one-shot notify_when_idle in SendMessage (macOS/Linux) for cross-session pings; macOS sandbox wildcard read-deny rules (e.g. **/.env) now take precedence inside allowed read regions and cannot be bypassed by rename; fullscreen renderer falls back to classic after a failed start; /model picker scrolls; /goal sessions self-check-in after 30 min / 1 h / 2 h of idle; GitLab MR draft/pending/green badge in footer; Clawd mascot rendering fixed in iTerm2; recap text capped at 400 chars at word boundary; VSCode screen-reader support for transcript.
Why it matters
ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_MODEL is the long-requested config primitive that finally separates default model from per-session override — opens the door to fleet-wide model rollout via env without losing per-user /model customisation. The sandbox wildcard hardening closes a real exfiltration vector.
Importance: 3/5
Long-requested env-var primitive + sandbox hardening