Launch Claude Sessions and Approve Tools Directly from Your Browser

Ever find yourself switching between your terminal, browser, and Claude's interface just to manage a simple tool approval? That context switching can pull you right out of the flow. What if you could handle those interactions without ever leaving your browser window?

That's the itch Companion scratches. It's a browser-based tool that lets you launch new Claude sessions and, more importantly, approve tool and function calls directly from a browser popup. No more jumping tabs or interrupting your main workflow.

What It Does

Companion is a lightweight browser extension that integrates with Claude. Its core function is to provide a popup interface from your browser's toolbar. From there, you can start a fresh Claude session. When Claude needs approval to use a tool or execute a function during your conversation, that approval request pops up right in this same interface. You can review and approve (or deny) it with one click, directly in your browser, without navigating away from your current tab.

Why It's Cool

The clever part is the focus on a single, persistent pain point: the approval step. Many of us use Claude for tasks that involve tools, and that manual approval dance breaks concentration. By moving that interaction to a dedicated, always-accessible browser popup, Companion keeps your main workspace clean and your focus intact.

It’s a utility in the best sense—it doesn't try to overhaul the entire Claude experience. It identifies one specific friction point in a developer's workflow and smooths it out with a simple, browser-native solution. The implementation is straightforward, which means it's reliable and does exactly what it says on the tin.

How to Try It

Head over to the Companion GitHub repository. The README has the current installation and setup instructions. Since it's a browser extension, you'll likely be loading it in developer mode or installing it from a store once it's listed. Clone the repo, check the requirements, and give it a spin. It's the kind of tool you'll know is useful within the first five minutes of using Claude with tools.

Final Thoughts

As a dev, I appreciate tools that solve a micro-problem well. Companion feels like one of those. If you regularly use Claude's tool capabilities for coding, data fetching, or other tasks, this will probably save you a bunch of minor annoyances throughout the day. It's not a flashy AI breakthrough; it's a quality-of-life improvement, and those are often the most valuable additions to a toolkit. It’s worth a look if your workflow involves frequent back-and-forth with Claude’s tool calls.

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