Claude Code /config: Tune Theme, Model, and Editor Mode

When you first launch Claude Code you end up using the default settings, but the screen may not suit your eyes, or you may have a familiar editing style of your own. The settings screen that lets you tune all this to your liking in one place is /config.

Definition (what it is)

/config is a command that opens Claude Code's settings screen. You can also use /settings as an alias (a shorter name for the same feature).

Here you can change things like the theme (screen color scheme), the default model (the AI model used for work), the editor mode, and display options. As a beginner, going in once at the start and setting things up to fit your environment makes later work much more comfortable.

How to use it (by difficulty)

Basic — open the settings window

/config

Typing this opens the settings window. Items appear as a list, and you move up and down with the arrow keys to pick and change the item you want. After you've changed everything, follow the guidance to close the window and the changes apply.

Applied — turn on vim editor mode

/config → Editor mode → Vim

This means finding the Editor mode item in the settings window and switching it to Vim. The arrow (→) shows the flow of "go into that item and choose," and the command you actually type is the single line /config.

vim is an editing style that handles text quickly with just the keyboard, so if you're used to vim, turning this mode on will feel right. If you're not used to it, leaving the default is more comfortable.

Advanced — toggle detailed features

/config → turn off Session recap

You can toggle detailed features like Session recap (a feature that automatically summarizes the conversation). Turn off features you don't need and turn on only the ones you want to fit your workflow.

Common pitfalls

• There are many settings items, so it can be confusing at first. Don't touch items you don't understand; start with ones whose effect is immediately visible, like the theme or editor mode.
• If you don't like a changed setting, just revert it to the original value in the same spot. It's not irreversible, so feel free to try things out.

Real-world example

When you first launch Claude Code, going into /config and setting things up once — switching to a dark theme that's easy on the eyes and turning off the auto-summary feature you don't need — lets you work comfortably in your own environment from then on.

Taking it further

Since you can change many settings in one place, setting things up properly once at the start makes everything afterward easier. It's also good to build the habit of stopping by /config first to match your environment when starting work on a new computer.

Summary

/config (alias /settings) is the settings screen where you change theme, default model, editor mode, and display options in one place. As a beginner, we recommend going in once at the start to set it up to your liking.

Based on Claude Code v2.1.154 (2026.05)