Claude Code bypassPermissions moves to user settings after v2.1.257

The change described in the guide is specific: since v2.1.257, writing bypassPermissions into a project's settings file no longer has any effect, and Claude Code instead starts in a mode that asks for confirmation. That is why the guide's steps center on relocation rather than on a new feature — the same string simply has to live in the user settings file, at permissions.defaultMode, for the terminal to read it at launch.

The guide also notes that when the mode is specified in more than one file, the project side wins, which is why deleting the project-level defaultMode line is part of the fix. Separately, it points out that if no mode is specified, terminal sessions start in auto mode as of v2.1.283, and that even in bypass mode operations listed under ask or destructive actions such as deleting important locations will still prompt.

The instructions were verified against Claude Code v2.1.296 on October 12, 2026, using the official documentation and the CHANGELOG, so behavior in later versions is not covered. The guide also notes that the VS Code extension reads its startup mode from a different setting and is outside the scope of these steps.