The problem
An agent that asks "Can I run npm install?" and then waits for twenty minutes because you were in your browser is the most common way to lose time with coding agents. The opposite happens too: a chat finished long ago and you only notice when you go back to check.
Watching the app window works for one chat. With several chats across Claude and Codex, you need something that taps you on the shoulder.
How Pairbar solves it
- Allow notificationsThe welcome asks for the Notifications permission. macOS asks only once: after that, Settings → General → Permissions → Notifications shows Open Settings…, which opens Pairbar's page in System Settings → Notifications.
- Pick which apps alert youIn Settings → Notifications, turn on Claude chats and Codex chats separately, then choose Sound and Notification banner.
- Decide whether banners show the questionA banner shows the app, the chat title and the project. Include what the chat is asking is off by default, because banners also appear on the lock screen. Turn it on if you want to read the question without opening the chat.
- Work somewhere elseWhen a chat finishes or needs you and you're not looking at it, the banner arrives. Click it to jump straight into that chat in Claude or Codex.
Every way Pairbar tells you something happened
| Signal | When | Where it's set |
|---|---|---|
| Banner | a chat finishes or needs you, and you're not looking at it | Settings → Notifications (per app) |
| Sound | the same moments | Settings → Notifications → Sound |
| Menu-bar icon count | always: how many chats need you | always on |
| ⌃⌥K quick search | from any app: what needs you, what's working and what just finished, before you type | always on |
| Needs you section | a chat is waiting for an answer or a permission | always first in the list |
| Workflow notifications | a run finishes, a step waits under Ask me first, a new health flag appears, or a check-in stops | sent automatically |
Press ⌃⌥K in any app for quick search: empty, it lists what needs you, what's working, what just finished and your latest chats; pick one to open it in its app, or press Esc to go back to where you were.
Limits
- Cloud chats (Claude Code cloud sessions and Codex cloud tasks) have no alert when they need you: there's no transcript on your Mac to watch. Their status still shows in the list.
- A subagent waiting for you makes its parent chat show Needs you.
- While Pairbar is locked (after the trial, without a licence) ⌃⌥K quick search is off and chat alerts are quiet.
- Pairbar shows in screenshots (Coming Soon) and screen sharing by default. Turn on Hide Pairbar from screenshots (Coming Soon) and screen sharing (Settings → About & advanced) to keep the sidebar and quick search out of them, though some capture (Coming Soon) tools may not honour this.
Without Pairbar
Without Pairbar, there are a few ways to get a nudge:
| Approach | How | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code hooks | a Notification or Stop hook that runs a command such as osascript or terminal-notifier | you write and maintain the script; Claude Code only |
| Terminal bell | Claude Code can ring the terminal bell, and many terminals turn that into a notification | depends on the terminal; per tab |
| Glancing at a tmux status bar | watch every pane | you still have to look |
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get notified only for Codex, not Claude?
- Yes. Settings → Notifications has separate switches for Claude chats and Codex chats, plus Sound and Notification banner.
- Why don't my banners show what the chat is asking?
- That's off by default because banners appear on the lock screen. Turn on Include what the chat is asking in Settings → Notifications.
- I clicked Allow… and nothing happened. Why?
- macOS asks for notification permission only once. Use Open Settings… to reach System Settings → Notifications → Pairbar and turn on Allow notifications there.
- Do I get an alert when a cloud session needs me?
- No. Cloud chats show Needs you in the list, but there's no alert for them because their transcript isn't on your Mac.
Related
- DocsStaying informedNotifications, sounds, the menu-bar badge
- Use caseKeep an eye on Claude Code and Codex while you work in other appsBanners and sounds per app, a count on the menu-bar icon and ⌃⌥K quick search keep you posted while Claude and Codex are in the background.
- Use caseRun several Claude Code and Codex agents in parallel without losing trackA Needs you section, live activity lines, subagent chips, worktrees and ⌃1–9 for running many agents at once.
- GuidePairbar keyboard shortcuts and how to peek at the app's own sidebarAll Pairbar shortcuts, from ⌘K and ⌃1–9 to ⌥ peek and chat-menu letters, and which ones you can switch off.
- GlossaryPermission modeThe Claude Code setting that decides which actions Claude may take in a session without asking you first.
Try Pairbar free for 7 days
One sidebar for the Claude and Codex desktop apps. Everything on for 7 days, no card needed; then $49/year ($39 first year with LAUNCH), $9/month or $129 lifetime (first 200 buyers). macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon.