This guide shows you three ways to change which Claude model you’re using with Claude Code: the quick /model command for instant changes, the --model flag for one-time session changes, and environment variables to set your preferred model as the permanent default.
Easiest method: Use /model command
The simplest way to change models is to use the /model command directly within Claude Code. This works immediately without restarting your terminal.
-
Start Claude Code:
claude -
Type
/modeland choose your desired model from the interactive menu. -
Your model change takes effect immediately.
Note: You can check your current model anytime by running /status in Claude Code.
Supported models
-
Opus 4.7,
claude-opus-4-7 -
Sonnet 4.6,
claude-sonnet-4-6 -
Opus 4.6,
claude-opus-4-6 -
Opus 4.5,
claude-opus-4-5-20251101 -
Haiku 4.5,
claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 -
Sonnet 4.5,
claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
Change model for current session only
Use the --model flag when starting Claude Code.
-
Start a fresh Terminal session.
-
Enter the following commands (depending on the model you’d like to use for that session):
-
For Opus 4.7:
claude --model claude-opus-4-7 -
For Sonnet 4.6:
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-6 -
For Opus 4.6:
claude --model claude-opus-4-6 -
For Opus 4.5:
claude --model claude-opus-4-5-20251101 -
For Haiku 4.5:
claude --model claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 -
For Sonnet 4.5:
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
-
Change default model for all future sessions
Step 1) Check your shell type by running: echo $SHELL
-
/bin/zsh→ You’re using zsh (macOS default) -
/bin/bash→ You’re using bash (Linux default)
Step 2) Add model setting to your shell config:
For ZSH users (macOS)
-
Opus 4.7:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-4-7"' >> ~/.zshrc -
Sonnet 4.6:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-sonnet-4-6"' >> ~/.zshrc -
Opus 4.6:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-4-6"' >> ~/.zshrc -
Opus 4.5:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-4-5-20251101"' >> ~/.zshrc -
Haiku 4.5:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"' >> ~/.zshrc -
Sonnet 4.5:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"' >> ~/.zshrc
For BASH users (Linux)
-
Opus 4.7:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-4-7"' >> ~/.bashrc -
Sonnet 4.6:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-sonnet-4-6"' >> ~/.bashrc -
Opus 4.6:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-4-6"' >> ~/.bashrc -
Opus 4.5:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-4-5-20251101"' >> ~/.bashrc -
Haiku 4.5:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"' >> ~/.bashrc -
Sonnet 4.5:
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"' >> ~/.bashrc
Step 3) Apply the changes:
-
For ZSH:
source ~/.zshrc -
For BASH:
source ~/.bashrc
Step 4) Close Terminal completely, then reopen it.
Step 5) Start Claude Code in a fresh Terminal session: claude.
Now your chosen model will be the default for all future Claude Code sessions.
