Glint

When clicking any island, the full session card unfolds showing the model and reasoning effort, a live tool log (e.g., "Editing NotchView.swift"), running tokens and elapsed time, and a context ring that matches Claude Code's own auto-compact gauge. This ring turns red past 90% usage and correctly reads both 200K and 1M context sessions. Subagents are shown when a session delegates work, displaying how many agents are out and what they are doing. The Plan section shows the current TodoWrite checklist ticking off as work completes. This comprehensive view gives developers deep insight into what their AI is doing at any moment, enabling informed decisions about whether to intervene, wait, or start a new task. The live tool log is particularly useful for understanding the exact step being executed, reducing guesswork and enhancing collaboration.

Usage meters are built into the panel, reading session, weekly, and Sonnet percentages with reset times directly from Claude Code itself, never estimated. Account, plan, and CLI version information is also displayed. For awareness, Glint provides optional macOS sounds when work finishes, when a session needs the user, or when work starts. Sounds are off by default and can be previewed before enabling. Privacy is a core focus: Glint reads only local session logs from ~/.claude/projects/** and does not make any network calls except for license validation with Polar. There is no telemetry, no tracking, and all rendering is on-device. This ensures that session data stays on the user's machine, addressing common concerns about cloud-based productivity tools.

Glint reads local session logs written by Claude Code and mirrors exactly what the CLI is doing. It listens for sessions and shows live status (Idle, Thinking, Awaiting) with the current tool verb. The busiest or most attention-needing session takes the lead in the island, while other sessions are listed in the expanded view. Multi-session support allows users to work on multiple Claude Code projects simultaneously, each with its own model and reasoning effort. The panel anchors below the chosen surface, and right-clicking any island gives quick access to Open Glint, Settings, or Quit. Even if the menu bar is crowded, users are never locked out. The license check is the only network call, and the app is distributed as a disk image with ad-hoc signing (notarization planned). This approach prioritizes simplicity, privacy, and reliability.

A developer running a long Claude Code task to refactor a module can keep Glint in the notch and see the progress without switching windows. If a session needs input (Awaiting), Glint signals with a sound or color change, allowing immediate attention. For users managing multiple Claude Code sessions across different projects, Glint shows the busiest session up front, so they can monitor which project is consuming the most resources. The context window gauge helps prevent unexpected auto-compaction by visually warning when usage exceeds 90%. In team settings, subagent tracking reveals how many agents are spawned and what they are working on, giving clarity into delegated tasks. Overall, Glint reduces cognitive load and helps developers maintain flow, leading to faster iterations and fewer interruptions.

Glint is built for macOS developers using Claude Code on macOS Sonoma 14 or later. It requires no additional setup beyond having Claude Code running; it reads the logs automatically. The app is Apple Silicon native and distributed as a 3.6 MB DMG. Pricing is a one-time $7 lifetime license, covering up to 2 Macs, with all future updates included. Founder seats are available at a discount. Glint uses a license key validated with Polar, and there are no subscriptions or recurring fees. This mirrors the philosophy of a simple, private, and respectful developer tool. In summary, Glint provides ambient awareness for Claude Code sessions, enhancing productivity without adding complexity or compromising privacy.