Choosing Models

Three ways to control which model you’re talking to:

• /model — pick the model for the current session, right from inside the chat.
• claude --model opus — set the default model when you launch a new session.
• Option+P (Mac) / Alt+P (other platforms) — a quick keyboard shortcut to switch mid-session without typing a command.

Check before you assume

It’s easy to lose track of which model you’re on across sessions — especially if you’ve got local overrides, a project default, and a habit of switching for hard problems. Glance at /model at the start of a session to confirm you’re actually on the model you meant to be on.

That’s the mechanics. For the actual “which model for which task” judgment call — when Sonnet is enough, when a problem is worth reaching for Opus, where Haiku fits in — see Model and Cost Guidance.