# Get a desktop ping when Claude Code is waiting on you, with a Notification hook

> Source: <https://dev.to/vildandenai/get-a-desktop-ping-when-claude-code-is-waiting-on-you-with-a-notification-hook-4i4j>
> Published: 2026-10-19 01:08:01+00:00

You kick off a long Claude Code task, switch to another window, and come back twenty minutes later to find it stopped after two minutes, waiting for you to approve one command.

A `Notification` hook fixes that. Claude Code fires it when it needs your attention, such as a permission prompt or an idle wait for input, and the hook receives a small JSON payload on stdin with a `message` field.

Save as `.claude/hooks/notify.sh` and `chmod +x` it:

``` bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# notify.sh: desktop ping when Claude Code needs you
set -uo pipefail
msg=$(python3 -c 'import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin).get("message","Claude Code needs you"))' 2>/dev/null || echo "Claude Code needs you")
if command -v osascript >/dev/null; then
  osascript -e "display notification \"${msg//\"/}\" with title \"Claude Code\""
elif command -v notify-send >/dev/null; then
  notify-send "Claude Code" "$msg"
else
  printf '\a'  # terminal bell as a last resort
fi
exit 0
```

In `.claude/settings.json`:

```
{
  "hooks": {
    "Notification": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          { "type": "command", "command": ".claude/hooks/notify.sh" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

Check the hooks page for your installed Claude Code version; payload fields and matcher options can change between releases.

`exit 0`. A notification hook should never block the session.` settings.json`, so you get pinged for decisions that matter, not for every `ls`.
I keep this hook alongside the allow-list, the safety hooks, and a short house-rules file in [Vildanden Agent Config](https://justly-mia-429.rehost.page/). The free sample has enough to try the pattern today.