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How to Rewind Conversations in Claude Code VS Code Extension

The VS Code extension doesn't support conversation rewind or message editing. The CLI provides double-ESC rewind, but VS Code has neither capability.

Why This Matters​

When Claude commits to a wrong approach, you cannot backtrack to an earlier message and redirect the conversation. Your only options are continuing with the stuck conversation or starting fresh. Use the CLI for full rewind capability, or start Plan Mode in the extension to preview changes before execution.

Workarounds​

Start Plan Mode:

  1. Start Plan Mode to preview before execution
  2. Review the complete plan Claude proposes
  3. Accept the plan to proceed or reject to revise
  4. Prevents wrong approaches from being executed

Plan Mode shows you what Claude intends to do before making any changes, giving you a chance to course-correct early.

Git Checkpoints:

  1. Commit before starting: git commit -m "Working state before AI changes"
  2. After unwanted changes, restore specific file: git restore <file>
  3. Or restore all files: git reset --hard HEAD

Committing before Claude Code sessions creates restore points. If Claude makes unwanted changes, you can revert to the previous working state without losing your original code.

Alternatives​

  • Claude Code CLI - Provides full rewind with double-ESC. Works in VS Code's integrated terminal and gives you complete conversation control with navigation and editing.
  • Cursor Editor - Has built-in conversation branching. Integrates with Claude via API and provides native rewind functionality.

See Also: Claude Code CLI vs VS Code|VS Code Setup Guide|Plan Mode

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