claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [FEATURE] Allow creating new branches from Claude Code Desktop app [1 comments, 2 participants]

Preflight Checklist

• I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Currently, in the Claude Code Desktop app, when selecting a branch for a worktree (or project), the branch selector only allows me to pick from a list of existing branches. There is no option to create a new branch directly from this UI.

This forces me to leave the app, open a terminal, manually run git checkout -b <new-branch> (or create the branch through another tool), and then come back to the Desktop app to select it. This breaks the workflow and adds unnecessary friction, especially when I want to start a new task on a fresh branch based on my current context.

As shown in the attached screenshot, the branch dropdown only offers a "Buscar branches..." (search branches) field and a list of already existing branches — there is no "Create new branch" option.

Proposed Solution

Add the ability to create a new branch directly from the branch selector in the Claude Code Desktop app. Ideally:

• In the branch dropdown (the same one shown in the screenshot), add a "Create new branch" option, preferably at the top or bottom of the list.
• When clicked, allow the user to type the new branch name and choose the base branch (defaulting to the currently checked-out branch or main).
• After confirmation, the app should create the branch locally (e.g., git checkout -b <new-branch> <base-branch>) and automatically select it for the worktree/project.
• Bonus: when typing a name in the "Buscar branches..." search field that does not match any existing branch, show an inline "Create branch '<name>'" suggestion, similar to how GitHub Desktop and VS Code handle this.

This would make the workflow of starting new tasks on fresh branches much smoother and keep everything inside the Desktop app.

Alternative Solutions

• Leaving the Claude Code Desktop app and creating the branch manually via the terminal (git checkout -b <branch>), then coming back and selecting it in the dropdown.
• Creating the branch through another GUI (GitHub Desktop, VS Code, IntelliJ) and then picking it up in Claude Code.

Both approaches break the flow and require context switching between tools, which is exactly what the Desktop app should help avoid.

Priority

Critical - Blocking my work

Feature Category

Other

Use Case Example

Example scenario:

1. I open the Claude Code Desktop app and select my project (e.g., monest-prompts).
2. I want to start a new task (e.g., a new feature) on a fresh branch based on main.
3. I click the branch selector (the one shown in the screenshot with "Buscar branches...").
4. Instead of only seeing existing branches, I see a "Create new branch" option.
5. I click it, type the new branch name (e.g., feat/new-awesome-feature), pick main as the base, and confirm.
6. The Desktop app creates the branch locally and selects it for the worktree, so I can immediately start a new Claude Code task on this new branch — without ever leaving the app.

Additional Context

Screenshot showing the current branch selector in the Claude Code Desktop app. Notice that only existing branches are listed and the search field only allows filtering them — there is no option to create a new branch.

Similar features exist in:

• GitHub Desktop: the branch dropdown has a "New branch" button and also suggests creating a branch if the typed name doesn't match any existing one.
• VS Code: the branch picker (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Git: Create Branch") allows creating a new branch from any base branch directly from the UI.

Adding a similar flow in the Claude Code Desktop app would make it feel on par with these tools and keep the entire development workflow inside Claude Code.