How to Update Claude Code: Every Method

How to update Claude Code: run claude update, or let native installs update in the background. Homebrew, WinGet, npm and apt users need their own command.

Quick answer: open a terminal and run claude update. On the native installer that is all you need, and Claude Code already updates itself in the background, applying the new version the next time you start it. If you installed with Homebrew, WinGet, npm or a Linux package manager, use that tool’s upgrade command instead (table below). Run claude --version afterwards to confirm.

Step 1: Find out how you installed Claude Code

The right update command depends on the install method, and this is where most failed updates come from. Run claude doctor. It shows the result of the last update attempt and whether auto-updates are enabled, and it flags a launcher the native installer did not create. If you remember typing curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash, you are on the native installer. If you used brew, winget, npm or apt, you need the matching command below.

Step 2: Run the update command for your install

Installed with	Update command	Auto-updates?
Native installer (macOS, Linux, WSL, Windows)	claude update	Yes, in the background
Homebrew (stable cask)	brew upgrade claude-code	No, unless you opt in
Homebrew (latest cask)	brew upgrade claude-code@latest	No, unless you opt in
WinGet	winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode	No, unless you opt in
npm	npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest	Yes, if the npm folder is writable
apt (Debian, Ubuntu)	sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade claude-code	No
dnf or apk	Your normal system upgrade	No

When claude update installs something it prints Successfully updated from the old version to the new one. If you are current, it says Claude Code is up to date. These commands come from Anthropic’s Claude Code setup docs, checked November 11, 2026.

Step 3: Restart and check the version

Updates take effect the next time you start Claude Code, so exit any running session and open a new one. Then run claude --version. A working install prints a number followed by (Claude Code). If claude doctor still reports a failed update, the most common cause on npm is a global folder that needs sudo.

The npm trap: do not use npm update

On npm installs, npm update -g looks like the obvious command but it respects the version range from your original install and may not move you to the newest release. Use npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest instead. Never add sudo: Claude Code runs npm without sudo when it updates itself, so an install that needed sudo can never auto-update. The npm package also needs Node.js 22 or later.

Our view: unless you have a reason to manage it through npm, switching to the native installer removes this whole class of problems, because it updates itself and cleans up old versions on its own.

Turn on auto-updates for Homebrew and WinGet

Homebrew and WinGet installs do not update themselves by default. Set the environment variable CLAUDE_CODE_PACKAGE_MANAGER_AUTO_UPDATE to 1 and Claude Code will run the upgrade in the background when a new version is out, then show a restart prompt. On Windows the WinGet upgrade can fail while Claude Code is running, because Windows locks the executable; Claude Code then shows you the manual command. Homebrew keeps old versions, so run brew cleanup now and then.

Choose a release channel: latest or stable

By default Claude Code follows the latest channel and gets new features the day they ship. The stable channel serves a build that is usually about a week old and skips releases with major regressions. Switch in /config under Auto-update channel, or add "autoUpdatesChannel": "stable" to settings.json.

• Pick latest if you want new models on day one. A newly launched model can need a version newer than stable serves.
• Pick stable for team machines and CI, where a broken release costs more than a week’s delay.
• Set a floor with minimumVersion so moving to stable never downgrades you.

Homebrew picks the channel by cask name instead: claude-code tracks stable and claude-code@latest tracks latest.

How to stop Claude Code updating

To pause background updates, set DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER to "1" in the env section of settings.json, then confirm with claude doctor. That still lets anyone run claude update by hand. To block every update path, which companies need when they ship a tested version, set DISABLE_UPDATES instead.

New to the tool? Our guide on how to set up Claude Code covers install and login, is Claude AI free explains which plans include it, and Claude vs ChatGPT compares it with OpenAI’s tools.

Frequently asked questions