Which model is Claude Code using right now?

Claude Code can run on different models depending on your plan, the task type, or your explicit selection. Headroom shows the active model name in the dropdown — updated every 15 seconds from the same data source as /usage.

The model name comes from Claude Code's own statusLine data — the same JSON it writes for the /usage command. No API call, no guessing. What Headroom shows is exactly what Claude Code reports.

What you see in Headroom

Open the Headroom dropdown (click the menu bar title). The bottom row shows the active model and last-updated time:

Session (5h)23%
Week (7d)67%
Context41%
Session cost$0.34
claude-sonnet-4-6 · Updated 2:41 PM

Model names you might see

Claude Code reports the model ID it's currently using. Common model IDs:

claude-sonnet-4-6 claude-opus-4-8 claude-fable-5 claude-haiku-4-5 claude-sonnet-3-7

Claude Code Pro and Max plans default to Sonnet. Opus and Fable are available in specific modes (like Claude Code's "ultracode" or extended thinking). The model shown is the current model, which can change mid-conversation if Claude Code switches context.

Why the model matters for limits

Different models consume your session and weekly windows at different rates. A long Opus or Fable session burns the 5-hour session window faster than the equivalent Sonnet session (Opus/Fable use more tokens per response). Seeing the model name alongside the usage % helps you understand why a session is burning fast.

Read the model name from the command line

The model name is in ~/.claude/headroom-usage.json:

# Current model
jq -r '.modelName // "not available"' ~/.claude/headroom-usage.json

# Full status line
jq -r '"Model: " + (.modelName // "unknown") + " | Session: " + ((.sessionUsagePct // 0) | round | tostring) + "% | Weekly: " + ((.weeklyUsagePct // 0) | round | tostring) + "%"' ~/.claude/headroom-usage.json

When the model isn't shown

If Headroom's dropdown shows no model name, it means Claude Code hasn't written that field to the JSON yet (common on first launch or after a fresh install). Use Claude Code normally and it will appear within one exchange.

Check your model in Claude Code directly

You can always check the model in Claude Code itself:

Headroom shows the same model that /usage reports, updated automatically without running the command.

Headroom shows your current model alongside session and weekly usage — always visible, zero config. Free native macOS app.

Download Headroom — free

or: brew install --cask patwalls/tap/headroom

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