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claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix Text cursor (blinking caret) invisible in light mode — can't see typing position [3 comments, 2 participants]

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anthropics/claude-code#46374•Fetched 2026-04-11 06:21:58
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Root Cause

  • #24587 — Same bug, auto-closed as stale (macOS)
  • #20928 — Same bug, auto-closed (Linux)
  • #24929 — Same bug, auto-closed (Windows)
  • #40905 — Light mode ANSI color7 collision (related root cause)
  • #40825 — Light mode diff text invisible
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Preflight Checklist

  • I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
  • This is a single bug report
  • I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

The text input cursor (caret) is invisible when using Claude Code with /theme light in iTerm2 with a light terminal profile. You cannot see where you're typing. The > prompt character is barely visible too.

This was previously reported in #24587 but was auto-closed as stale without a fix.

Key Evidence

  • The cursor works fine in the same terminal, same profile outside of Claude Code (normal shell prompt)
  • The cursor works fine in other CLI tools (e.g., OpenAI Codex) in the exact same terminal and profile
  • The terminal profile explicitly sets a dark cursor color (#2a6d83 on #f2efed background) — high contrast, clearly visible everywhere except inside Claude Code

This confirms the issue is in Claude Code's rendering, not the terminal configuration.

Behavior Across Profiles

Tested with two iTerm2 profiles to isolate the problem:

ProfileBackgroundCursor ColorCursor visible?Bold text visible?
Default#f9f9f9#000000 (black)YesNo — bold/bright ANSI colors are near-white
Nord Defogged Light#f2efed#2a6d83 (dark teal)NoYes

The fact that different things break with different profiles shows Claude Code's light theme is making assumptions about the terminal's ANSI palette instead of ensuring contrast. It works by accident on some palettes and fails on others.

Environment

  • Claude Code version: 2.1.100
  • macOS: 26.3.1 (Tahoe)
  • Terminal: iTerm2 3.6.9
  • TERM: xterm-256color
  • COLORTERM: truecolor
  • Claude Code theme: light (/theme light)

iTerm2 profile colors (Nord Defogged Light):

  • Background: #f2efed
  • Foreground: #2d343f
  • Cursor: #2a6d83 (dark teal — clearly visible)
  • Cursor Text: #f2efed

What Should Happen?

The text cursor should be visible in the input field, respecting the terminal's cursor color settings or ensuring contrast against the background.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Use iTerm2 with any light-background profile (tested with Nord Defogged Light and Default)
  2. Launch claude
  3. Run /theme light
  4. Try to type in the input field — cursor is invisible

Screenshot

[Attached in comments]

Related Issues

  • #24587 — Same bug, auto-closed as stale (macOS)
  • #20928 — Same bug, auto-closed (Linux)
  • #24929 — Same bug, auto-closed (Windows)
  • #40905 — Light mode ANSI color7 collision (related root cause)
  • #40825 — Light mode diff text invisible

Claude Model

Opus

Is this a regression?

I don't know — the cursor has never been visible for me in light mode.

Claude Code Version

2.1.100

extent analysis

TL;DR

The issue can be mitigated by adjusting the Claude Code theme or terminal profile settings to ensure sufficient contrast between the cursor and background.

Guidance

  • Verify that the terminal profile's cursor color setting is being respected by other CLI tools to confirm the issue is specific to Claude Code.
  • Experiment with different Claude Code themes or adjust the terminal profile's color settings to find a combination that provides sufficient contrast for the cursor.
  • Check the related issues (#40905, #40825) for potential insights into the root cause of the problem, which may be related to ANSI color palette assumptions.
  • Consider testing with different terminal emulators or profiles to determine if the issue is specific to iTerm2 or the Nord Defogged Light profile.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue appears to be related to configuration and theme settings rather than code.

Notes

The fact that different things break with different profiles suggests that Claude Code's light theme is making assumptions about the terminal's ANSI palette, which may not always be accurate. This issue may be related to other reported problems with light mode and ANSI color collisions.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by adjusting the terminal profile settings or Claude Code theme to ensure sufficient contrast between the cursor and background, as a permanent fix may require changes to Claude Code's theme or rendering logic.

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#latency issue#model loading#dependency error#configuration error#environment variable

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