Terminal Candy × Claude Code
Skin the terminal you run Claude Code in
Claude Code is a brilliant agent trapped in a plain terminal. Terminal Candy is a real native macOS terminal you run Claude Code inside — reskinned into anything, with alerts that tell you the moment Claude is done or waiting on you.
macOS 14+ · free to download & try · never a subscription
Why run Claude Code in Terminal Candy?
- A real terminal, not a wrapper — the official Claude Code CLI runs untouched; Terminal Candy just gives it a beautiful place to live.
- Agent alerts: Terminal Candy watches your Claude Code session and bounces the Dock, plays a sound, or brings the window to the front when Claude finishes a task or stops for input — so you can step away.
- Skin it into anything: a retro CRT, a handheld, a cartoon character with a live shell behind the screen. One click, no restart.
- Summon Claude from anywhere with the global ⌥Space hotkey — the terminal drops in over any app, no Accessibility permission required.
- Native Apple-Silicon speed — long Claude Code sessions stay fast, with real scrollback, true color, and multi-session tabs.
How to run Claude Code in Terminal Candy
- 01
Install Terminal Candy
Download the DMG, drag it to Applications, and launch. It is a real, fully native macOS terminal — nothing to configure.
- 02
Run Claude Code inside it
Run your usual `claude` command in a Terminal Candy window. Because Terminal Candy is a genuine terminal (real PTY, full VT, true color), Claude Code runs exactly as it does anywhere else — Terminal Candy never touches its binary or config.
- 03
Skin it, then walk away
Pick a skin and Claude Code wears it live — no restart. Turn on agent alerts and Terminal Candy bounces, chimes, or jumps to the front the moment Claude Code finishes or needs your input.
Claude Code + Terminal Candy — FAQ
- Does Terminal Candy change how Claude Code works?
- No. Terminal Candy is a plain terminal — it spawns your shell and you run the official `claude` CLI in it. Your API key, config, MCP servers, and hooks all behave identically. Terminal Candy only changes what the terminal looks like and adds optional alerts.
- How do the Claude Code alerts work?
- Terminal Candy watches the session (via a lightweight hook and log-poll) and fires a Dock bounce, sound, or bring-to-front when Claude Code finishes or pauses for input. You set which triggers you want in the Alerts tab. Great for long agentic runs where you would otherwise babysit the window.
- Do I need to reinstall or reconfigure Claude Code?
- No. Keep your existing Claude Code install exactly as it is. Just open a Terminal Candy window and run it there instead of in Terminal or iTerm.
- Which Macs does it run on?
- macOS 14 (Sonoma) and up, on Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs. An Intel build is in the works. It is a fully native Mac app — there is no Windows or Linux version.
- What does it cost?
- Free to download with a full 14-day trial (up to 5 skin slots). After that a one-time $10 license unlocks unlimited skins and community membership forever — never a subscription.
Using a different agent?
Terminal Candy is a real terminal — run any AI CLI in it.