claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [BUG] Claude for Windows desktop app does not switch to extra usage when 5-hour limit is reached, while Claude Code CLI on the same account does [1 comments, 2 participants]

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

What's Wrong?

Note: This bug is in the Claude for Windows desktop app, not Claude Code CLI. Filing here based on precedent of other Desktop bugs accepted in this repo (#48281, #50437, #48697, #50856).

I have extra usage enabled on my Claude Pro account with $83.10 prepaid balance and "Unlimited" monthly spend limit (configured via Settings > Usage on claude.ai web; $58.05 already spent this cycle, confirming the extra usage billing path works for my account).

When I hit my 5-hour session limit, the Claude for Windows desktop app (v1.3883.0) shows the blocking error "Usage limit reached · resets at 5:40 PM · Upgrade" and disables the input box. This happens across all sessions, including new ones, and persists after fully quitting the app from the system tray, signing out and back in, and restarting the machine.

On the exact same account, at the exact same moment, Claude Code CLI (v2.1.62) launched from PowerShell on the same Windows machine correctly shows "Now using extra usage" in its status bar and continues working without interruption.

So the extra usage mechanism itself works on the backend — the bug is that Claude for Windows is not honoring the extra usage flag for this account and is blocking the user as if extra usage were disabled.

Unlike #52249 (which traces the trigger to a "Prompt is too long" API error corrupting state on a Max 5x plan), in my case there was no preceding "Prompt is too long" error — the lockout occurred on normal 5-hour window expiry on a Pro plan.

What Should Happen?

When extra usage is enabled and there is available prepaid balance, the Claude for Windows desktop app should display "5-hour limit resets [time] - continuing with extra usage" (per https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12466728) and continue accepting messages, consistent with the behavior of Claude Code CLI on the same account at the same time.

Error Messages/Logs

Banner shown in Claude for Windows desktop app:
"Usage limit reached · resets at 5:40 PM   [Upgrade]"

Banner shown in Claude Code CLI (PowerShell, same account, same moment):
"Now using extra usage"

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have a Claude Pro plan with extra usage enabled and prepaid balance > $0 (configured on claude.ai web → Settings → Usage; toggle ON, monthly spend limit set to "Unlimited").
2. Use Claude for Windows v1.3883.0 until the 5-hour session limit is reached.
3. Observe: blocking banner "Usage limit reached · resets at [time] · Upgrade" appears at the bottom of the chat. Input box becomes disabled.
4. Open a new conversation in the desktop app — input is still disabled, same banner.
5. Fully quit Claude for Windows from system tray (right-click → Quit, not just close window). Reopen. Same banner.
6. Sign out via Settings → Sign out. Sign back in. Same banner.
7. Restart the machine. Same banner.
8. On the same machine, same account, run claude in PowerShell. Observe: status bar shows "Now using extra usage". CLI accepts prompts and works normally.

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

No response

Claude Code Version

Claude for Windows v1.3883.0 (93ff6c) Claude Code CLI v2.1.62 (working correctly on same account, included for contrast)

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

PowerShell

Additional Information

Related issues:

• #52249 — same family ("desktop app blocks despite available extra usage") but different trigger and different plan tier (Max 5x, post-"Prompt is too long" error). My case is on Pro plan with no preceding context-length error.
• #45192 — describes the broader pattern of dashboard/client usage state being out of sync on Windows.
• #50856 — precedent for filing Claude Desktop bugs in this repo per Anthropic Fin support guidance.

The pattern across these issues suggests a systemic state-sync problem between the usage tracking backend and the Windows clients, where the desktop app appears more frequently affected than the CLI.

Screenshots attached:

1. claude.ai Settings > Usage panel showing extra usage enabled, $58.05 spent, Unlimited monthly cap, $83.10 prepaid balance.
2. Claude for Windows v1.3883.0 showing "Usage limit reached · resets at 5:40 PM · Upgrade" banner with input disabled.
3. PowerShell running Claude Code CLI v2.1.62 on the same account at the same time, showing "Now using extra usage" in the status bar.