A guide for users coming from the classic interface or choosing between the two.
These capabilities are only available in the terminal UI.
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Overlay panels | /help, /context, /tools, and more open as searchable, scrollable panels instead of inline text |
| Themes | 3 built-in themes (dark, light, safe) with /theme customization and auto-detection |
| Activity tray | Ctrl+X shows task progress and queued messages at a glance |
| Crew monitor | Ctrl+G visualizes subagent activity in real time during multi-agent sessions |
| Message queuing | Type and edit your next message while the agent is still working |
/copy | Copy the last response to clipboard (works over SSH) |
/spawn | Run parallel agent sessions with a task |
/feedback | Submit feedback directly (replaces /issue) |
/guide | Switch to the Kiro guide agent for help and onboarding |
/transcript | Open conversation transcript in $PAGER (Ctrl+T) |
| Rich tool rendering | 12+ specialized components with status icons, collapsible output, and syntax-highlighted diffs |
| Reverse history search | Ctrl+R to search through previous inputs |
| Kill ring and undo | Full Emacs-style editing with Ctrl+W/K/U/Y and Ctrl+_ for undo |
These features work differently in the terminal UI.
| Area | Classic | Terminal UI |
|---|---|---|
| Shell tool output | Streams in real time | Buffered — appears after the command completes |
| Interactive commands | rm -i, sudo, ssh prompts work | Not supported — use non-interactive alternatives |
/help | Launches a help agent for interactive Q&A | Opens a searchable command panel |
| Approval flow | y/n/t text menu | Notification bar with drill-in feedback |
| Multi-line input | Alt+Enter, Ctrl+J, backslash continuation | Shift+Enter, Alt+Enter, Ctrl+J (no backslash) |
| Prompt indicators | Profile, context % | Agent chip, model chip, context %, git branch, cwd |
| Notifications | System notifications | System notifications + in-app notification bar |
A few classic features haven't been ported to the terminal UI.
| Feature | Workaround |
|---|---|
/changelog | Check release notes on the Kiro website |
/logdump | Use kiro-cli outside chat for log management |
/experiment | Knowledge and Tasks are always on. Other experiments are being re-evaluated |
/settings in chat | Use kiro-cli settings from your shell |
| Vi edit mode | Not yet available — the terminal UI uses Emacs keybindings |
| External diff tools | The built-in diff viewer is used for all diffs |
| Inline hints and tips | Not yet available |
The classic interface is fully maintained and available anytime. Use kiro-cli --classic for a single session, or kiro-cli settings chat.ui "classic" to switch permanently. Sessions are compatible between both interfaces.
Terminal UI vs classic